Beekeepers in Aleppo, Syria, no longer feel the sting of war

ALEPPO – Muhammad Khatab inherited the beekeeping industry from his father. After 8 years of conflict, war and economic hardship, he has struggled to keep his hive running. Khattab, a resident of marea, a rural village north of Aleppo, calls his beehive the "greatest legacy" his father has left him.

Beekeeping is one of the oldest professions in rural Aleppo, where the mild climate and fertile plains are good for bees. The region, especially in the north, is known for its light-colored honey, which often has a large taste of fennel and coriander. Beekeepers also boast about the nutritional value and health benefits of their honey.

Unsurprisingly, the civil war that broke out in 2012 led to a decline in beekeeping and honey production. This is largely due to the lack of available treatments to protect bees from pests and diseases that, if left uncontrolled, can have a negative impact on production. Last year, drought in the region hit it further.

Despite recent difficulties, local beekeepers are hoping for a promising season after a long, rainy winter. They were also able to import equipment and other supplies from Turkey, restoring relative stability in rural areas.

"I checked the beehives I owned on the outskirts of the city and tracked the production of honey," Khattab told Al-Monitor. "Beekeeping is not tiring and not expensive. Bees just need a fertile pasture filled with flowering plants and trees to collect nectar and turn it into honey. This (profession) is the greatest legacy my father left me. ”

Khattab currently has 50 hives, almost half the number of pre-war hives, when he would put them in the back seats of trucks and transport them to pastures in other provinces. Now, he rents a truck and moves beehives around the Aleppo countryside in search of flowers and fertile land.

"When the flowers in the meadows and orchards of rural Aleppo become scarce, I will move my hive to the fertile area near Latakia on the Syrian coast, or to the gisslshugur plains in western Idlib, where lemon and orange trees are abundant," Khatab explains. "But that's all in the past. Given the security risks, beekeepers can no longer move freely to other Provinces in Syria. ”

Still, Khatab remains hopeful. "I think the 2019 season will be productive," he said. "Rural Aleppo has fertile pastures with very diverse flowering plants and trees that provide enough food for bees. The plants that provide nectar to bees are mainly fennel, coriander, fennel and cotton, in addition to lemon, cherry and summer dead tree mahaleb, also known as mahloeb cherry, tree. ”

Al-Monitor travels to Dabek, north of Aleppo, to visit the bee farm al-Rahiq al-Makhtum, which means "sealed nectar". The owner of the farm is Mohammed Mare, who is also the secretary of the local free beekeepers association.

"I have worked in the beekeeping industry for many years and I have a lot of experience in this area," Marei told Al-Monitor. In March 2017, the Beekeepers Association was established in Dabeck, a rural village north of Aleppo. It serves beekeepers, holds scientific and practical seminars, asks a wide variety of questions, introduces beekeeper methods, promotes professional development, develops beekeeping methods aimed at increasing yields, and encourages the exchange of experiences among beekeepers. ”

Mare and other members of the Free Beekeepers Association visit the rural beekeeping farms of Azaz, Jalablus, Abab and Marea at least twice a month to advise and assist beekeepers. Their associations are not affiliated and independent of any governing body.

"I check the hive every day," Marei told Al-Monitor while visiting his farm in Dubeck. "I provide some water to give the bees what they need to continue producing honey. Mare's 100 hives produce large quantities of honey, which he sells in the nearby area for 6,000 Syrian pounds ($12) per kilogram.

There are several species of bees in the northern countryside. The Syrian bee, or al-Zumor bee, is the most prevalent. There are also foreign, Caucasian and Anatolian bees. Some local beekeepers have begun using high-tech sensors imported from Turkey to collect data on the temperature, humidity and carbon dioxide levels of hives to help ensure that conditions for producing large quantities of honey remain optimal.

Ali Najjar, director of the Agriculture Office of the Marea Local Council, told Al-Monitor, "Beekeeping and honey production are very important in the region, but the local agencies are not giving them the attention they deserve. Marea's Agricultural Office is working to develop the work of beekeepers. More than 2,000 beekeepers in rural northern Aleppo make a living from beekeeping. Some of these hives have a limited number of no more than 20, while others have large bee farms with more than 100 beehives. ”

In March, the Agriculture Office of the Aleppo Rural Local Council distributed hives to some poor families with the aim of creating a source of income, which would also increase the benefits of beekeeping as a profession, Najar said.

"The beehives distributed were provided by the Turkish Ministry of Agriculture," Najar said. The Ministry of Agriculture has also provided special clothing and protective measures as gifts for some beekeepers. ”

Invitation: The 61st Syria International Expo in August + Syria Reconstruction China Product Matchmaking Meeting in July