'Honey Festival' attracting people from all over Qatar

Dakhira Yard in Al Khor and Al Wakrah Yard are all set to host the three day at each yard ‘Honey Festival’ event this January. The ‘Honey Festival’ is showcasing honey from local Qatari farms and will attract honey-lovers and beekeepers from all over Qatar. Organized by the Ministry of Municipality and Environment, the festival’s aim is to encourage the production of honey by giving honey farmers technical and financial support and is part of the national honey bee project which was initiated in 2012 to make honey farming popular and provide support.

The first leg of the festival will be completed today at Al Mazrouah Yard’s winter vegetable market where the festival has been taking place the last two days. This year’s festival has already seen the participation of more farmers, visitors and participants than last year. There are 16 Qatari honey farms and four organizations taking part this year and this will be an opportunity for the Ministry to familiarize farmers with the national honey bee project. The number of honey farms have increased in 2014 to 50, up from 30 honey farms in 2012; in fact, at the end of 2016, there are approximately 130 honey farms in Qatar.

A number of different honey varieties will be available at the festival; local honey is becoming increasingly popular in Qatar because of its flavor, purity, quality and medicinal value, with the most popular honey being the one that is produced by bees that gather nectar from the local Sidra trees.

The honey festival will run in Dakhira Yard in Al Khor from January 12 up to January 14, 2017, and Al Wakrah Yard from January 19 up to January 21, 2017, while the one at Al Mazrouah Yard ended on January 7, 2017.

Source: The Peninsula