Shafaq News / Duhok Province Beekeepers Association announced a significant 60% decline in honey production this year compared to the previous year, citing several reasons for the decrease, most notably the confrontations between the Turkish military and laborers.
Khurshid Biromari, the association's president, revealed in an interview with Shafaq News Agency, "Last year, honey production reached 350 tons across all areas of Duhok Province. However, this year, it has not exceeded 150 tons so far."
Biromari pointed out several factors contributing to the decline in honey production, starting with "the impact of severe cold weather during the spring season, which destroyed the flowers and plants."
He continued, "Secondly, large-scale forest fires broke out due to Turkish shelling and armed conflict between the Workers' Party and the Turkish military, especially in the areas of Barwari Bala and Mount Matin."
Furthermore, Biromari highlighted the challenges faced by beekeepers in Duhok, stating, "Beekeepers encountered difficulty in transporting beehives to mountainous areas rich in flowers due to the mutual shelling between the Turkish military and the Kurdistan Workers' Party militants."
It is worth noting that the number of beekeepers in Duhok Province exceeds 3,500 individuals, distributed across various regions of the province.