Beekeepers in Shariatpur are busy harvesting black cumin honey and tending their hives. Because it has medicinal qualities, black cumin honey fetches a better price than other honey. Placing bee boxes beside the fields has also raised crop yields, pleasing both local farmers and beekeepers who come from other districts. Entrepreneurs say that if beekeepers and the agriculture department worked together, Tk 100 crore of honey could be harvested from the district.

The district Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE) says Shariatpur is famous for black cumin, which is grown to a greater or lesser extent in all six upazilas. Wide fields across the district are now under black cumin, and bee boxes have been set beside them for the flowers. This season 2,010 bee boxes have been set up for black cumin honey, with a target of 9,650 kg of honey. Beekeepers from other districts are happy with the good harvest and the higher price.

Honey is being collected at at least 8 sites in Mulna union of Zajira upazila. Black cumin is also grown, and honey collectors are active, at Senerchar, Baro Gopalpur, Palerchar, Joynagar, Bilashpur and Chakdha in Naria. Beekeepers come from Satkhira, Magura, Khulna, Sylhet, Sherpur, Dinajpur, Natore and elsewhere and set up camp in these places.

At several bee farms in Zajira, rows of boxes stand beside the black cumin fields. Worker bees fly in through the openings to store honey and fly out again to gather more, without pause, while the beekeepers busily look after the boxes. Each farm has 150 to 200 boxes.

Tarun Kumar Mondal has come from Shyamnagar in Satkhira to the T&T area of Zajira to collect black cumin honey. He has collected honey in various districts for 5 years and camps in this part of Shariatpur every black cumin season. He is pleased that black cumin honey sells for more than other honey.

"Shariatpur is famous for black cumin and very good honey is found here," he said. "We come every season. Three of us have come this year. I have set up 150 boxes, which give ten kg of honey a day. Demand is very high in the market and we struggle to supply all our customers. It sells wholesale at a thousand taka a kg. We are doing very well."

Shahabul Islam Shihab, a honey collector from Faridpur, said: "Because a lot of black cumin is grown in this area, there is a lot of honey. We can sell black cumin honey at a higher price than other honey, so every season I set up boxes in different parts of Shariatpur. When the black cumin honey is finished I will head to Dinajpur to collect litchi flower honey."

Local farmers said yields are better than before because of the bees. "Twenty years ago we never saw honey collected with boxes like this. When the beekeepers first brought boxes, we thought the bees sitting on the flowers would harm the crop. Now we see it does no harm and the crop is good. So when beekeepers come to the area, we arrange a safe place for them."

Black cumin honey has been declared the district's branding product. Shahidul Islam, owner of the honey company Hajka Agro Farm, said at least Tk 100 crore of honey could be produced in the district if the agriculture office and beekeepers were brought together.

"Black cumin honey produced in Shariatpur has more antioxidants, which is why doctors advise eating it," Shahidul said. "Because of its quality, it could also be exported. If beekeepers are trained and the DAE works with them, at least Tk 100 crore of honey can be harvested."

DAE deputy director Mostafa Kamal Hossain said: "Quite good honey is harvested from black cumin in the district. To raise crop output, we keep encouraging farmers to let honey collectors set up beside their fields."

Source: Jagonews24. First published in Bengali on The Agro News.