The beekeepers are suffering due to the honey crisis in the Sundarbans this season. According to the beekeepers, this situation has occurred due to drought and untimely flowering of forest trees. In such a situation, after the loss, many teams of beekeepers will not go to the forest for the second time this year.
However, the forest department hopes that flowers and honey will be available in the forest if it rains in the future. A target has been set to collect 1050 quintals of honey and 300 quintals of beeswax in the Eastern Sundarbans this year. In the last fiscal year 2020-2021, 1044 quintals of honey and 313 quintals of wax were collected. From this 10 lakh 96 thousand taka revenue was collected.
Talking to the beekeepers returning from the Sundarbans, it was reported that they went to the forest on April 1 to collect honey with a 14-day pass. This time the cost of one member of the team has been around Tk 12,000 including double the revenue of the forest department, boat rental, purchase of daily necessities for food and accessories. However, the beekeepers have suffered losses in the first shipment without getting honey. In this situation, they are worried about paying the large amount of money taken from the creditors.
Many beekeepers have decided not to go to the forest for the second time this year as they do not even have money to go to the forest.
Beekeeper Yusuf Munshi of Khuriakhali village of the upazila said that in the first 14 days his group of 10 people got only 17 kg of honey. Each person gets 600 grams per kg. They have not seen such a catastrophic disaster in the Sundarbans in the last three decades.
Beekeeper Nur Islam Faraji, Ibrahim Bepari, Riyadul Faraji and many others from Jalerghat village of Southkhali Union said that only 4 to 5 beehives could be found by searching one to one and half kilometer area of forest.
They got 10-12 kg of honey from each beehive. However, this time, even after walking mile after mile, the bee does not catch the eye. The number of flowers in the forest has also been seen less. Although one or two small bees were found, they were broken down and two to three hundred grams of honey was found.
Md Russell Ahmed, a honey trader from Khuriakhali village, said, “I have given one lakh taka to the beekeepers this time. In the news I get, I am wondering whether the consignment will be returned.”
East Sundarbans Sharankhola Station Officer (SO) Mohammad Asaduzzaman said 76 teams have been given honey extraction permits from Sharankhola station for the first time this year (April 1 to April 15). Of these, 18 teams have submitted their passes. Although some teams have returned, many are still in the forest.
According to him, there has not been enough rain in the Sundarbans for the last two years. That is why the flowers of the forest trees actually dry up and fall off. This created a food crisis for bees and insects. So bees do not come without honey. Such a situation happened early last year as well. But in the end, good honey was found. They are hoping to get flowers and honey in the forest if it rains in the future.
Forest Department Sharankhola Range Officer (ACF) Mohammad Shahidul Islam said 127 passes (permits) have been issued from Sharankhola, Chandpai, Dhangmari and Jiudhara stations for the purpose of extracting 1,050 quintals of honey and 350 quintals of beeswax in the East Sundarbans this year.
Honey extraction will continue till June 30. Although there is less honey in the first shipment, more or less calculations cannot be made now till the end of the season. East Sundarbans Divisional Officer (DFO) Mohammad Belayet Hossain said 1044 quintals of honey and 313 quintals of beeswax were collected from East Sundarbans in the last fiscal year 2020-2021. From this 10 lakh 96 thousand taka revenue was collected.
