Aksaray exports 500 tons of sunflower honey to Japan and Europe

Aksaray, a major sunflower-producing region in Türkiye, is exporting approximately 500 tons of sunflower honey to international markets, including Japan, Belgium, and the Netherlands.

Refik İçli, President of the Aksaray Beekeepers Association, noted that the region ranks third in Türkiye for sunflower production, covering 160,290 hectares. The local beekeeping industry utilizes 32,000 hives, with an additional 25,000 migratory colonies arriving in the Yenikent, Yeşilova, and Eskil regions during the season.

While sunflower honey is known for its rapid crystallization due to large pollen particles—a trait sometimes mistaken for adulteration—it is highly valued abroad. In Europe, it is frequently consumed as cream honey, whereas in Türkiye, it is more commonly consumed in liquid form. Türkiye's total annual honey exports range between 20,000 and 25,000 tons, with sunflower honey accounting for roughly 3,000 to 4,000 tons of that total.