TİKA Supports Beekeeping in Tajikistan

Turkish Cooperation and Coordination Agency (TİKA) built the Beekeeping Continuing Education Center as part of the Tajikistan Beekeeping Development Program.

In Tajikistan, where mountains cover 93% of the surface area and the area of arable land is limited, natural conditions suitable for beekeeping lead families, especially those living in rural areas, to this important economic activity and source of livelihood.

Today, there are a total of 237,000 beehives, and 4,200 tonnes of extracted honey are produced annually in the country, where beekeeping activities are far below the country’s potential. The annual extracted honey production corresponds to only 39% of the country’s potential.

Since beekeeping stands out as an important industry that generates both employment and income in rural areas, TİKA implements many projects to support the beekeeping industry in Tajikistan.

Adding another project to its portfolio in the country, TİKA built the “Beekeeping Continuing Education Center” within the Agency for Apiculture Development and Support of Tajikistan, affiliated with the Ministry of Agriculture of Tajikistan. The center will serve the purposes of developing the existing beekeeping potential in the country; encouraging people living in rural areas to engage in beekeeping and training them; increasing yields in the industry by teaching modern approaches and technologies; protecting bee colonies from diseases; and introducing innovations for the treatment of diseases.

The opening ceremony held for the center was attended by İbrahim Erbir, TİKA’s Dushanbe Coordinator; Sadi Karimzoda, First Deputy Minister of Agriculture of Tajikistan; Muzaffar Halimov, Head of the Agency for Apiculture Development and Support; representatives of Tajik Agrarian University; and beekeepers who would participate in the first training courses at the center.

In his speech at the ceremony, İbrahim Erbir, TİKA’s Dushanbe Coordinator, stated that TİKA would continue to support this industry in the future. He said, “We believe that this Center will make a significant contribution to the development of beekeeping in the country. We aim to introduce the innovations in this field to the country and to increase yields and improve the quality in the industry through the training courses to be organized at the center.”

Sadi Karimzoda, First Deputy Minister of Agriculture of Tajikistan, also delivered a speech at the ceremony and thanked TİKA for the project.

After the opening ceremony, the first training course on “Advanced Beekeeping Techniques” was organized at the center from September 20 to 22. 25 beekeepers from different parts of the country participated in the training course.

In the first phase of the Tajikistan Beekeeping Development Program, which was launched by TİKA earlier this year, 26 families in need in two regions of the country were provided with 20 beehives each and the necessary equipment for beekeeping.