Indonesia Produces 5,000 Tons Of Honey

Mataram, NTB, Oct 16 (Antara) - Indonesia produces only some 5,000 tons of honey per annum as is not yet able to meet the need for the commodity in the world merket, a Ministry of Forestry official said. "The 5,000 tons are produced by honey farmers from Indonesia`s forest," Wiratno, director for social management forest development said here on Wednesday. He said that Indonesia was not yet able to meet the for honey of the world which reached 15 thousand tons annually. "The world need for honey reaches 15 thousand tons a year. We still can only produce some 5,000 tons," Wiratno added. He said Indonesian honey farmers still conducted honey bee farm very modestly. "We will develop it through an Indonesian forest honey network program," he remarked. Wiratno said that so far farmers honey production had so far been enjoyed by middlemen, so that through the forest honey network, Indonesian honey bee farmers could enjoy added values. He said that the ministry of forestry would build a pilot project in the production of honey. The province of West Nusa Tenggara (NTB) has been decided as a region for the development of honey.