Honey market value chain
A well-differentiated honey market value chain is equally important for the producer, the distributor as well as for the consumer to provide uniform quality and further to increase the income.
Ethiopia:
Indonesia: According to a local scientist (Universitas Padjadjaran), fragments of a honey market chain exist, but work need to be done, to strengthen the value market chain. So far, beekeepers sell their products online in the form of bulk packaging by creating and marketing their own brand, or they offer it to “collectors” (i.e. distributors). In a next step, the collected products (honey, pollen, royal jelly, wax) will be further processed to adjust the quality of goods (flavor, water content, ...). Table honey will be sold in bigger cities situated around the particular farms.
In 2005 SNV/Ethiopia (Stichting Nederlandse Vrijwilligers/Ethiopia) has written a Strategic Intervention Plan, where the criterias were listed, that are necessary if an apiary (all countries) wants to sell its honey bee products in the EU :
- The use of antibiotics as a preventive measure is forbidden. If the use is necessary, you have to follow the instructions exactly and remove all supers from the hive.
- During honey flow periods, you should not feed supplementary sugar or sugar syrup.
- Remove all frames, containing fermented honey, or moldy pollen.
- To prevent tobacco taste and its tar residues, avoid the excessive use of a smoker while harvesting.
- To avoid high moisture content, only harvest frames that are at least 70% sealed.
- If necessary, use chemical repellents for harvesting carefully.
- Supplement food should be positioned on an upturned hive cover instead of putting it on the ground.
- The honey extraction should take place in room that is protected from external moisture and honey bees.
- To avoid the rotting of the hive, all component parts (floor, walls partitions) should have a waterproofed surface.
- Do not heat honey above 40.6 °C to avoid the production of HMF.
- Machines and containers have to be sealed with food-quality paint, or contain of stainless steel or food-quality plastic.
- Do not smoke during the honey extraction.
- To remove big pieces of wax, filter the honey after extracting process.
- Do not store honey in rooms with high temperature, nor at places exposed to the sun.
- To avoid the re-uptake of external moisture, be sure to proberly seel/shut honey containers.
- Do not collect pollen during honey harvesting season.
- Working with food and non-food products requires seperate steps.
- If hives are placed in a "honey house", do not clean it, until all honey has been stored in airtight conainers.
- Chemical products (detergents, glue for labels, medicine, insecticides, herbicides, ...) have to be stored seperatelly from the extraction room.
- Do not use used oil barrels (even when waxed).
