Syria yearly consumes 1200 tons of honey and exports 800 tons to Arab countries

Just like other productive sectors in Syria, the production of honey which has been affected by the war on the country is trying to find ways to show the world that it has recovered through holding festivals in Damascus.

“The production of honey in Syria has passed through stages,” according to Head of the Arab Beekeepers Union Mr. Iyad Da’abol, who clarified to Syria Times that the first stage was before the start of the crisis where the country was yearly producing 3200 tons of honey while  the second one was in  2017 when the Arab Beekeepers Union, the Ministry of Agriculture and international organizations started to intervene to compensate the decrease in quantity of production that resulted from the war.

Mr. Da’abol added that honey production moved to the 3rd stage last year where production hit 2000 tons.

During our interview with him in the 4th Syrian Honey Festival being held in Damascus ( From the 28th of November until the 3rd of December), he indicated that Syria consumes 1200 tons of honey and it exports 800 tons to Arab countries.

Mr. Da’abol asserted that one of the goals of the festival is to open a channel for exporting the honey of the participating beekeepers. “ The activity is a chance for beekeepers to exchange information and to familiarize visitors on how to check whether the honey is adulterated or not .”

Historically,  Syria belongs to one of those countries lucky enough to have a native species of honey bees that date back thousands of years, according to the head of the union.

The native species of honey bees are found everywhere in the country as well as in Jordan, Lebanon and the northern part of Iraq. The yellow-coloured bees look like the Italian honey bees (ligustica) being only slightly smaller with the last two tergites grey. These bees are very gentle and found mainly in the eastern and southern parts of the country. In addition, they are very well adapted to their habitat and are very resistant to droughts unlike the foreign bees which never survive more that one season.

Syria’s thorn & flower honey is high in fructose – 43.3%, glucose – 25.3% & a variety of oligosaccharides. It contains proteins, enzymes, amino acids, minerals, vitamins, aroma compounds & polyphenols. Since antiquity Syrian honey has been the panacea for all ills.

Mr. Da’abol concluded by saying: “Syria came in the second or the third place in honey production at Arab level….The number of beekeepers before the crisis was 32000  but has been reduced to 20000 ones.”

For her part, Mrs. Rawan Sabbah, who participated in the previous festival, told us: “ We have had beehives in the eastern Ghouta of Damascus since 3 years ago and here we show products made of Propolis and bee pollen that could be used as medicine. As you know honey has a number of health benefits and plays a role in many home remedies and alternative medicine treatments.”

High quality honey — which is minimally processed, unheated, and fresh — contains many important bioactive plant compounds and antioxidants, such as flavonoids and phenolic acids.

Honey helps suppress coughing .

“coughing is a common problem for children with upper respiratory infections. These infections can affect sleep and quality of life for both children and parents…Common cough medications are not always effective and can have side effects. Interestingly, honey may be a good alternative, with evidence indicating that it’s an effective treatment option,” Mrs. Sabbah said, pointing out that it shouldn’t be given to infants under 1 year of age due to the risk of botulism.

She went on to say: “The best way to get a small boost of antioxidants from honey is through using it any way that you’d typically use sugar. It’s excellent for sweetening plain yogurt, coffee, or tea. You can also use it in cooking and baking.”

Mr. Jalal Kasso, who has participated in all honey festivals said : “ One of the goals of our participation in a such activity is to familiarize consumers  with the benefits of honey and its types…. From north to south there are wide areas with mild climate  to breed bees… There are 20-25 types of honey in Syria…But during the crisis it has been difficult to produce certain types as they exist in the north of Aleppo or Idlib.”

There were also several stands for cosmetics that use honey in producing soaps, creams and shampoos

Mr. Mahmod Sal’os from “Bait Al-Aashab” [ Herbal House] said that he is participating for the first time in a such activity and he recently started to use honey in his workshop’s  products because of its great benefits for hair and skin.

The participants in the festival offer 10% discount for all exhibits, and the prices of 1kg of honey ranges between 38,000- 75,000 Syrian pounds ($7,9 – $13,7).

Reported by: Basma Qaddour