Beekeeping support and honey production in Turkey

Various regional initiatives in Turkey are facilitating honey production through training and equipment support.

In Bornova, the municipality conducted its first honey harvest from an apiary in Kayadibi, where natural honey was harvested from more than 30 beehives. This follows a decade-long program where approximately 1,000 citizens have received beekeeping education. Most recently, 80 trainees completed a 56-hour program and were provided with essential gear, such as Langstroth-type hives and pollen traps. The produced honey is distributed through Kent Market shelves.

In the Yüksekova district of Hakkari, the Demeter Agricultural Development Women’s Cooperative completed its first organic honey harvest under the ‘Organic Beekeeping Project’. Supported by the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, members received four months of training and a 75 percent grant to acquire roughly 50 beehives. The cooperative, which was founded in 2019, now sells its organic honey through e-commerce and a local breakfast salon.

Another initiative in Hakkari, the Lilyana Women's Cooperative, has also completed its first honey harvest via the Organic Beekeeping Project. Following four months of training from the Provincial Directorate of Agriculture and Forestry, members used a 75 percent grant to establish an apiary. Having started with 43 hives and 20 traditional honey baskets, the cooperative has expanded its capacity to 70 hives. The harvested black hive honey (karakovan balı) is sold through the cooperative's business premises to support female economic participation in the region.