BAKU, Azerbaijan, May 18
By Elnur Baghishov – Trend:
A proposal was put forward to the Crisis Management Department of the Ministry of Agriculture Jihad of Iran for issuance of loans worth 58.5 trillion rials (about $ 1.39 billion) to prevent damage to the beekeeping sector and support producers in the current Iranian year (from March 21, 2021 through March 20, 2022), the executor of the plan of the Ministry of Agriculture Jihad for the development of beekeeping Hossein Akbarpour said, Trend reports citing the ministry.
The official emphasized that under the proposal, beekeepers will receive loans worth 24.5 trillion rials (about $583 million) to buy sugar and ready food to honey bees, and worth 34 trillion rials (about $809 million) to replace beehives affected by drought. The loans are to be issued at 12 percent.
Akbarpour added that according to the Iran Meteorological Organization, precipitation in Iran in the first month of the current Iranian year (March 21 through April 20, 2021), decreased by an average of 43 percent compared to the same month in the past 52 years.
In this regard, it is planned to provide loans of 7 million rials (about $ 166) to purchase of honey bees for each a beehive in the drought-affected provinces.
“On average, honey bee losses in winter are 14 percent worldwide. This figure is between 10-20 percent in Iran,” he said.
Reportedly, Iran produces more than 110,000 tons of honey percent year.
