Value Chains research report Tajikistan final - Microfinance Centre

establish connections for exporting honey are being made. Judging by the production and
export figures for 2010, only 2.5% of the total honey production was exported, which leaves
a lot to be desired. Tajikistan’s honey exports are mainly to the Russia. Prospects for honey
in the domestic and international markets are positive due to growing consumer awareness
of its nutritional benefits as a natural food, as well as its medicinal and cosmetic value.
Table 53. Export of honey from Tajikistan
Years
export
of
Total honey export from Tajikistan
Quantity, tones
Amount, thousand USD
Direction
export
of
2008 48 103 Russia – 100%
2010 75 195 Russia – 100%
Source: State Statistic Agency of Tajikistan
However, currently the reason behind lack of external sales markets and low export
potential of the product lies in the following issues:
• Absence of control on excessive use of sugar feeding;
• Honey is not refined and not filtered;
• Bad presentation of the product (packaging, looks, certification);
• The honey currently produced is multifloral, so it is impossible to make a batch with
unified color, taste and other physical and chemical parameters;
• Lack of a brand that would guarantee quality;
• High price in the internal market, as a result of low productivity.
The solution to most of these problems is to establish production terminals. The
beekeepers’ work will be made much easier by opening company outlets selling natural
honey, providing access to the necessary accessories and veterinary medications,
disseminating knowledge and information.
Function of value chain players
Beekeepers. The principal actors in the honey value chain are the beekeepers. They keep
domesticated bees in wooden hives or bee hives for seasonal production of honey and
secondary products. Honey production was limited to a few months of the year, using
mainly the pollen from mountain flowers and cotton blossoms. The extracted honey was
sold in raw (unprocessed) form at 15-30 somoni per kg, primarily to the population. There is
no food processing company which processed the honey, packaging and sale throughout
Tajikistan, and for export.
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