Honey Harvest Begins in Van's Çatak with a Target of 500 Tons
· Tarım TV
In Van's Çatak district, the honey harvest has commenced in high-altitude plateaus, with expectations of over 500 tons this season due to favorable rainfall and a flourishing flora.
Honey producers settled in the plateaus of Van's Çatak district, at an altitude of 2,700 meters, have started their first harvest of the season. Heavy rainfall in the region has increased plant diversity, and favorable weather conditions for beekeeping have directly boosted hive productivity. In Çatak, 200 beekeepers are engaged in a laborious extraction process from approximately 40,000 beehives. The honeycomb, carefully collected from the hives, is prepared for domestic and international markets after straining and hygienic packaging.
Evaluating the season's progress, Tekin Semo, Chairman of the Çatak Honey Producers Association, stated that they anticipate a harvest exceeding 500 tons this year. Touching upon production conditions and provided support, Tekin Semo, Chairman of the Çatak Honey Producers Association, said:
Beekeepers transfer their hives between plateaus throughout the season to maximize the benefits from the region's rich flora. Explaining the production process, Tekin Semo stated that they were located at the foothills of Mount Kato at the beginning of the summer and moved their colonies to the foothills of Mount Arnos two months ago. The wild flower cover and clean water sources at the high-altitude mountain slopes enhance the quality of the honey produced, while projects encouraging youth participation in the sector continue to expand the region's beekeeping capacity.
Aslan Semo, a 50-year veteran beekeeper producing with 750 hives at the foothills of Mount Arnos, emphasized that no agricultural pesticides are used in the region and that they produce entirely organically. Calling for geographical indication against counterfeit products, Beekeeper Aslan Semo said:
Van Deputy Kayhan Türkmenoğlu, visiting the beekeepers in the harvest area, stated that there are approximately 180,000 beehives in Van province. Pointing out that about 40% of this hive stock is concentrated in the Çatak and Bahçesaray districts, Türkmenoğlu noted that the city is on its way to becoming one of Turkey's leading centers in beekeeping. It was recorded that due to the pure nectar structure provided by the high-altitude flora, the honeys produced across the province have a unique structure containing no additives.
Van Deputy Kayhan Türkmenoğlu stated that the incentives provided by the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry directly strengthen honey production, emphasizing the critical importance of bringing young entrepreneurs into the sector. Evaluating public support in the sector, Van Deputy Kayhan Türkmenoğlu stated:
| Value | Period | Measure |
|---|---|---|
| 2700 meters | — | Harvested altitude |
| 200 people | — | Number of beekeepers in Çatak |
| 40000 units | — | Number of bee colonies in Çatak |
| 500 tonnes | This year | Expected honey yield |
| 40 people | — | Number of people who received hives within the project |
| 20 units | — | Number of bee colonies distributed per person |
| 750 units | — | Aslan Semo's number of bee colonies |
| 200 TL | — | Selling price of imitation honey on the market |
| 180000 units | — | Total number of bee colonies in Van province |
| 40 % | — | Share of Çatak and Bahçesaray in the provincial hive stock |
| 24 years | — | Age of Çatak Honey Producers Association President Tekin Semo |