In Turkey, which is the second largest honey producer of the world after China with 115 thousand tons of honey manufacturing, Turkey is experiencing a “pretend honey” disaster. 1000’s of tons of pretend honey have been seized within the operations carried out in current months, whereas the capital Ankara is the “middle” place within the manufacturing of pretend honey. Chatting with DW Turkish, BAL producers demand that the federal government to tighten and impose deterrent penalties towards the pretend honey that damages Turkey's picture on the earth markets.
There are round 9 million hives in Turkey and roughly 100 thousand beekeepers make a dwelling from this job. It’s estimated that the honey sector has reached a measurement of 10 billion TL yearly. Round 500 corporations, that are registered to the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, are working within the sector.
Based on the data offered by Ziya Şahin, President of the Central Union of Turkey Bee Breeders (TAB), talking to DW Turkish, “imitation product” for honey -like merchandise produced through the use of numerous sugar syrups fully with out seeing bees; Merchandise that don’t adjust to the laws as a consequence of some nonconformities throughout manufacturing or storage are referred to as “Tagşiş Product”. In different phrases, honey with synthetic honey aroma, colorant, sweetener, glucose, corn syrup and synthetic honeycomb is named “pretend honey”.
Stating that they have no idea how a lot the pretend ratio within the honey sector is, Sahin, “As on the earth, there are pretend honey in Turkey. We don’t undertake Turkey as a pretend honey paradise. On this regard, as in everywhere in the world, the authority within the public, that’s, the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, “he says.
“We have now no inspection authority”
Sahin stated that they’d a gathering with the administration of the World Beekeepers Affiliation Federation for taking farther measures towards pretend honey.
“We determined to have a world assembly in Turkey in 2025 to fight pretend honey. What we name pretend honey is manufactured from starch -based sugar, performed with enzymes, produced by including chemical substances. There’s a deficiency in management. Our producers react to us. 'Why don't you stop them', however we don't have the authority to present approval to the labels. I don't even have the authority to ask. “
Large “Pretend Honey” operation within the capital
On the finish of September, Ankara Provincial Gendarmerie Command KOM Department Directorate and Intelligence Department Directorate groups within the district of Akyurt in Ankara, 8 thousand 150 tons of glucose used within the development of pretend honey, fructose and sugar and 100 thousand honey label belonging to varied manufacturers have been seized. Safety forces stated in an announcement, the market worth of the merchandise seized 960 million TL was introduced.
Initially of October, the merchandise of 32 totally different honey manufacturers have been included within the imitation and adulteration record introduced by the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry. Based on the ministry information, the capital Ankara has grow to be the “middle” in pretend honey manufacturing. It was introduced that 25 of 32 totally different pretend honey have been produced in Ankara and two merchandise have been produced in Ordu and two merchandise have been produced in Istanbul.
On 12 November, the record introduced by the ministry was introduced that two Ankara -based honey manufacturers made pretend manufacturing and put these merchandise on the market in chain markets. Lastly, within the present record introduced on December 18th, 11 extra honey manufacturers have been added to the record of “imitation” and “Taghshiş” record.
“There’s a 5 -fold value distinction”
Can Sezen, Common Supervisor of Anavarza Bal, who is among the high 10 corporations on the earth with the R & D laboratory the place he can carry out 3 thousand tons of manufacturing and almost 100 high quality exams, stated in an announcement to DW Turkish, “This pretend honey fury can be in China , There’s additionally a little bit extra in Turkey.
Within the interval when the inspections of the state turned frequent, Pretend honey producers withdrew from the market, and when the inspections turned sparse, Sezen stated, “We have no idea what measurement the quantity of pretend honey is. Afterwards, the businesses that make these imitation-taghs need to see and study.
Based on Sezen's data, the financial issues within the nation are pushing shoppers to eat pretend honey. Stating that there’s a 5 -fold distinction between pretend honey and actual honey value, Sezen expresses: “Till just a few months in the past, the 850 gram jar of a pretend product was bought for 60 TL, whereas we have been promoting the identical quantity of actual honey for roughly 300 TL. The corporate was only a huge cash for our sector.
There’s a hazard of “pretend” in exports
It is usually a matter of curiosity whether or not pretend honey merchandise, which have reached a critical measurement in Turkey, are exported from Turkey to different nations. Based on the sector representatives, though there is no such thing as a willpower in pretend honey export, present customs evaluation is inadequate to detect counterfeit honey.
Lastly, France introduced final month {that a} complete of 13 tons of “erectile honey” was seized in 2024. French customs officers, honey and sexual energy -enhancing medicine, any such honey in France, often in Türkiye, Tunisia or Thailand illegally put inserted.
Germany in Turkey's honey exports 2nd place
Türkiye exports honey to 53 nations and free zones. Based on the Jap Black Sea Exporters' Affiliation (DKİB) information, honey exports, which realized as 31 million 868 thousand 8 {dollars} in 2023, elevated by 1.4 % in 2024 to 32 million 318 thousand 214 {dollars}. The primary three nations during which Turkey exported essentially the most honey was the USA, Germany and Canada, respectively. 12 million 49 thousand 89 to america final yr from Turkey, 7 million 82 thousand 622 to Germany, Canada 1 million 850 thousand 112 {dollars} of honey was bought. For the primary time in 2024, honey exported from Turkey to Hungary, Bangladesh, Iraq, Czech, Morocco, Nepal and Equatorial Guinea.
DKİB Chairman Saffet Kalyoncu lately stated in an announcement that Turkey's picture downside in honey exports. Kalyoncu, “In 2025 to appropriate the picture of our nation's honey export of imitation and prevention of imitation, frequency of inspections and manufacturing in worldwide requirements is of nice significance,” he stated.
“Customs inspections could also be inadequate”
Ziya Şahin, President of the Central Union of Türkiye Bee Breeders (TAB), says that pretend honey produced in Turkey might be bought overseas. Sahin, “Pretend honey unlawful methods to go to the Arab nations, from there to different nations of the world could also be. Nonetheless, all nations obtain honey analyzed with the most recent expertise whereas exporting. Nonetheless, how pretend honey comes into and out of the nations, it isn’t doable to know.”
If pretend honey exports are made, it isn’t doable to find out how a lot of the full honey exports of the Whole Honey Exports Anavarza Bal Common Supervisor Can Sezen stated that the prevailing customs controls could also be inadequate to detect pretend honey. Sezen, “at the moment detect pretend honey in exports 'NMR machine' new applied sciences corresponding to not but utilized. Due to this fact, pretend honey exports are inevitably passing by customs,” he says.
Aram Ekin Duran EU, Türkiye and the Center Jap economies focusing economic system correspondent.https: //twitter.com/aramduran
