Myanmar shipped 1,253 tonnes of honey with an estimated value of over US$1.8 million to foreign trade partners in the first half (April-September) of the current financial year 2023-2024, according to the Apiculture Division under the Livestock Breeding and Veterinary Department.
Myanmar exports honey to the Republic of Korea, Japan, the US and Singapore. Myanmar’s beekeeping businesses are mostly found in Sagaing Region, Mandalay Region, Magway Region and Shan State.
Myanmar produces sesame honey, jujube honey, niger honey, sunflower honey, lychee honey and flower honey.
Honey is utilized as traditional medicine in the country, while it also generates foreign income from exports.
There are some state-owned beekeeping stations with 6,200 beehives in 31 townships and over 950 private beekeeping businesses operating with nearly 200,000 beehives.
Moreover, two million acres of crops yearly contribute to bee pollination every year. The beekeeping businesses near the crop fields contribute to the successful yield of the crop as well as quality bee production.
Myanmar annually produces about 7,000 tonnes of honey, with a production capacity of 70 pounds per beehive. Over 1,900 tonnes of honey were shipped to external markets in the 2022-2023 FY (April-March), with an estimated value of over $2.8 million.
Myanmar exported 1,853.74 tonnes to foreign markets by sea and 63.44 tonnes to neighbouring countries via cross-border. — NN/EM
