Yen Tan beekeeping cooperative, Lac Luong
commune (Yen Thuy), produces honey under traditional method.
Lac Thuy district has over 19,100 hectares of
forests, over half of which are grown with old -age longan, lychee and other
fruit trees. This is a valuable natural source for the honey-making industry.
According to deputy director of the district’s Department of Agriculture and
Rural Development Hoang Dinh Chinh, the honey output of the district reaches
over 100 tonnes each year, equivalent to more than 20 billion VND. In
Luong Son district, the honey industry records 60-70 tonnes per year, raking in
tens of billions of VND in revenues. In some localities such as Yen Thuy, Ky
Son, Lac Son, and Kim Boi, the honey products make up a large proportion of the
total revenues. Many households, cooperatives and cooperative groups in the
province have involved in keeping bees. For example, Hop Dong commune (Kim Boi)
has over 10 beekeeping households, each raising averagely 100-200 beehives and
harvesting 2-3 tonnes of honey. The beekeeping cooperative in Yen Tan hamlet,
Lac Luong commune (Yen Thuy) has 11 members, raking in nearly one billion VND
in revenues in 2017. Meanwhile, Tren hamlet in Tu Do commune (Lac Son) has 17
beekeeping families, raising over 200 beehives. Family of Bui Hai Hoa from Dan
Hoa commune (Ky Son) is breeding 200 beehives with an annual average income of
over 100 million VND.
Various kinds of honey with
different quality are sold in the market at present. To promote the advantages
of the honey industry and generating more jobs for people, it is necessary for
the province to build brands to compete with products from other provinces and
export.
However, fake and low-quality
products are still present in many places, causing damage to honest beekeepers and
customers.
Most recently, the provincial
Department of Science and Technology has collected opinions from scientists to
build regulations for management and use of trademark and selection of a logo
for Hoa Binh honeybee, one of the local competitive farm produce. When
certified, honey keeping and trading households will be issued a code, which
means they have to obey conditions on manufacturing, processing and trading
regulations as well as technical process. Additionally, to protect and develop
honey brands, bee keepers need to ensure quality and pledge to implement
seriously and comprehensively commitments in the certificate of the right to
use brands and ensure national standards on food safety and hygiene.