The total honey output harvested in Minh Hóa District in Quảng Bình Province in 2023 is over 616 tonnes. — VNA/VNS Photo.

QUẢNG BÌNH — The district of Minh Hóa in central Quảng Bình Province has many advantages in developing beekeeping for honey, but it is facing many difficulties in building a brand and finding outlets to sell honey products.

Đinh Văn Thiên's household from Cầu Lợi Village, Xuân Hóa Commune, Minh Hóa District is one of the households with 20 years of experience in beekeeping for honey, and he has more than 100 beehives.

On average, each year, Thiên's family produces about one tonne of honey, generating a profit of about VNĐ150 million (US$6,000) per year. This has been a stable source of income for his family for many years.

Thiên shared that, taking advantage of the local mountainous area with many types of wild flowers, his family raises bees right in their garden.

A beekeeper can build beehives at a low cost, but the building process requires precise technique and meticulousness at each step.

Every day, beekeepers need to check the bees, to ensure they are healthy and collect a lot of honey, he said.

Many local people said that honey from Xuân Hóa Commune has a unique yellow color, high adhesion, and a gentle scent of natural mountain and forest flowers, so consumers love it. Currently, the price of honey is around VNĐ150,000 per litre.

Đinh Duy Văn, Party secretary of Xuân Hóa Commune, said that the mountainous commune has a natural forest area of 4,700 hectares. This is the locality with the most households raising bees for honey in Minh Hóa District, with 68 households raising bees for honey.

Each year, they harvest over 14 tonnes of honey products, equivalent to about VNĐ1.4 billion. Thanks to beekeeping, the economy of households in the area have become increasingly stable, contributing to local socio-economic development.

According to Văn, the local authority has supported people to participate in training classes  access scientific and technical advances in beekeeping.

However, many farming households still feel insecure as the honey in Xuân Hóa Commune has not yet had a registered trademark.

Đinh Xuân Khánh from Ninh Xuân Village, Xuân Hóa Commune, said the quality of honey in the commune is considered very good. However, due to some difficulties in registering labels and business registration to affirm the brand, the consumption of honey products locally is unstable.

“My wish and that of the local people is that Xuân Hóa's honey products will soon be registered for labels, business registration, and branding. In this way, local honey products can be bought by supermarket chains and local agricultural product stores, with stable consumption and higher selling prices," Khánh added.

Secretary Văn said that because it is a mountainous commune which has limited resources, registering labels and registering businesses for honey products locally requires many procedures and documents.

However, since March 23, the locality has had a Certificate of Establishment of Xuân Hóa Agricultural Cooperative. For the 25 beekeeping members, this is a good sign. — VNS