Kurdshop - Beekeepers in the mountainous area of Jolemerg in North Kurdistan, which is rich in grass and flowers, with heavy rains in this area are waiting to collect and produce a lot of honey. Beekeepers in Jolemerg have started working on organic flower honey with the onset of summer.

The beekeepers take their bee boxes to mountainous areas rich in greenery and water resources, where they live in tents and caravans.

Beekeepers, who spend much of the day cleaning boxes and emptying hives, are expecting an increase in honey production due to the rains of the past few days.

Beekeepers are waiting to take their bees to the mountains where a variety of plants grow as the heat begins.

Fazil Durmush, president of the Beekeepers Union, said that honey production was not as expected last year due to the lack of rainfall.

Durmush explained that about 200 beekeepers from provinces such as Ordu, Aden, Giresun, and Hatay came to the region every year, and he says, "Last year, about 10 kg of honey was produced per box, but this year it is raining and the season is going well. We expect to produce 20-25 kg of honey per box. There are about 1500 beekeepers in our region. About 500 of them are amateur beekeepers. About 1000 of our beekeepers have been supported by the city's Department of Agriculture and Forestry. Our area is rich in the diversity of plants and flowers. Jolemerg honey has been of great interest for centuries. During the Ottoman period, honey was sent to the Sultan's palace. There is a demand for our honey and an average of 1500 tons of honey is available in our region. We hope that this season will be a good production and collection season for all our beekeepers.

One of the beekeepers, Akram Kutluk, who has kept his bees in Gundeshi village of Cele district, said they have started a new season of activity and are cleaning the boxes.

“There are dozens of kinds of grasses and flowers in the mountainous areas of the city, so the honey they produce tastes better. We do not give sugar to the bees. Our flowers are different; we produce organic honey. The honey of Jolemerg flowers is famous. We transport honey to Istanbul, Izmir, Ankara, and Van. There is also demand for Jolemerg honey from many different places. We hope to increase our production this year because there has been more rain and snow. Other beekeepers have started their work. There are many beekeepers in the region; each year, the number of beekeepers increases."

One of the beekeepers, Adnan Agid, said he has been beekeeping for 13 years and takes care of the bees in springs. He said bees that are not strong are supported with medicine.

"Beekeepers come here from all over the country. This is a fertile area. Many kinds of plants and flowers grow there and the mountains' plants and flowers produce better honey," he said. That is why our honey turns out well. Beekeepers come from Ordu and Garasun. We spend about 6 months here with the bees, hoping our products are good. There are thousands of hives in the area and we stay here in tents. Like any other profession, beekeeping has its difficulties, but it is a good job and we also produce black box honey."

Another beekeeper, Nawzad Kutluk said, "The number of local beekeepers in the area is increasing. I, myself, come from Van. There are many kinds of flowers and plants in the area. Honey harvesting starts in September. We produce honey with hives, black boxes, and rose water honey. I wish all the producers the best of luck this season.”