Golden harvest: How beekeeping near Jamalpur mustard fields sweetening profits

Kazi Moniruzzaman, travels around 175 kilometres, to reach Islampur from Gazipur, for his slice of the region's liquid gold: honey. 

"I hope to make a good profit," Moniruzzaman says as he makes his way to the mustard fields.

Since the first week of December, he has already collected 800 kilograms, which were sold for between Tk350 and Tk400 per kilogram. The favourable weather bodes well for him.

Honeybee collectors are passing a busy time, and the locality is abuzz with beekeeping as entrepreneurs from various parts of the country are considering honey collecting as a prospectus as well as a lucrative profession.

The district's flowing yellow seas of mustard fields offer bee-keepers the best place to produce their honey.

It's a symbiotic relationship, not only restricted to plants and the bees. The mustard growers and bee keepers also share the same. 

For some, it is an absolute game changer. 

Nurul Huda, who hails from Satkhira, set up 190 beehives at Chhabilapur village in Melandah upazila.

He has already collected 35 mounds of honey. 

"I collect honey from various flowers round the year, and I have been involved with the profession for the last four years," he said.

"The honeybee collection has made me solvent," he said with a smile. 

According to officials at the Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE), beekeeping is gradually escalating in the district, located in the north-central part of the country, due to honey's high demand and worthwhile profits.

The officials said honey collectors have already accumulated 10,530 kilograms of honey from the mustard field, for which the locality has worn an eye-catching and soothing yellowish look in the district till December 30.

Honey collectors set up 7,287 beehives, used for honey production, pollinating crops, and other purposes, to collect honey from mustard fields during the current season.

According to DAE data, farmers in the district cultivated mustard on 41,550 hectares of land this season, but honey is being collected from 4,615 hectares of land mustard field.

About 45 honey collectors, hailed from various districts, set up beehives at all the seven upazilas in the district.

The honey collectors set up 2,812 beehives in Islampur upazila, 1,105 in Melandah, 1,100 in Sarishabari, 780 in Madarganj, 1,050 in Bakshiganj, 230 in Dewanganj, and 210 bee boxes in sadar upazila.

Honey collection of the season will continue till mid-January.

While there are prospects, challenges also abound.

Mosharaf Hossain, hailing from the Satkhita, said, "I have been involved with the profession for the last 15 years. My family depends on this income." 

He collected 35 maunds of honey from mustard fields at the village of Shyampur in the Melandah upazila.

Mentioning that he is facing an investment crunch, Mosharaf said if he gets a soft loan from the government, it would be possible for him to continue the profession smoothly.

Deputy Director of DAE Zakia Sultana said 34 honey collectors set up 5,643 boxes and collected 26,450 kg of honey last year, but this year the number has increased significantly.

Farmers are also happy as during honey collection mustard farmers get benefits due to pollination, she added.