Tanahun Honey Enters International Market, Exciting Local Farmers

Tanahun. Farmers are excited as honey produced in the district begins to enter the international market.

Farmers in Thaprek and Dagam of Shuklaphanta Municipality-1 here are increasingly attracted to beekeeping, as honey produced in this area has started to be marketed internationally.

Surya Nepal Pvt. Ltd.'s Himalayan Treasure has started purchasing honey produced here from the farmers and marketing it. In the initial phase, 2,100 kilograms of honey were purchased at a rate of NPR 2,000 per kilogram.

The company, under its Corporate Social Responsibility program, is also distributing coffee saplings to farmers, promoting a multi-dimensional agricultural system, which is expected to help diversify farmers' sources of income.

Suraj Wagle, a farmer from Thaprek, stated that there is great enthusiasm as the honey they produced has gained entry into the global market. He said, "It is a matter of happiness that our product has entered the international market. If the market expands further, it will help farmers remain in this profession."

According to Wagle, more than 500 farmers in this area are involved in beekeeping. The beekeeping program operated under the National Agricultural Modernization Program (formerly the Prime Minister's Agricultural Modernization Project) has played a significant role in expanding commercial beekeeping in this region. The program, which initially started with 10 farmers, has now reached 500.

Wagle currently has 25 beehives. He shared that he plans to expand the number of hives up to 200 in the coming days. "Both the price and the market for honey are improving, so I am thinking of increasing production by investing more," he said.

To ensure the quality of the honey, Surya Nepal Pvt. Ltd. tests honey collected from various flower sources every month. It has been reported that honey collected from Chestnut forests in the month of Kartik showed high quality and was deemed suitable for the foreign market.

Lead farmer Nandutha Magar said that the international marketing of honey produced here is a great source of happiness for the farmers. He said, "There is good demand for the honey produced here abroad. Beekeeping is the main source of income for the farmers; every house has beehives. Marketing will attract more farmers."

Dr. Swarnim Wagle, Deputy Chairman of the Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP) and Member of Parliament for Tanahun Constituency No. 1, highlighted that the 'Chestnut' honey produced in Tanahun has reached the international market, presenting it as a significant example of Nepal's economic potential. Informing via social media that the honey has started selling in the global market under the brand 'Marani Chestnut Honey,' he pointed out the potential to establish Nepali products at a high value globally.

Wagle praised the role of the 'Himalayan Treasure' brand under Surya Nepal in taking Nepali products to the world market through specific processing, quality testing, modern packaging, and effective marketing.