TEHRAN- The deputy head of the Agriculture Department of Ardebil province announced that 350 tons of Sabalan honey were exported in the past Iranian calendar year 1401 (ended on March 20).

Nobakht Ajdari said that currently, there are 534,000 beehives in the province, and the beekeepers of the province produce more than 9,000 tons of honey annually, of this amount, 1,500 tons are consumed inside the province.

Honey is one of the most important souvenirs of Ardebil province in the northwest of Ira.

The honey produced in Ardebil province, which is known as Sabalan honey, has been registered internationally and has a national and international reputation.

According to the latest census of the country's apiaries by the Agriculture Ministry, the production of honey is 136,000 tons in the country, a board member of the Iran Beekeepers Association has announced.

Mohammad Fekri said that with producing 30,000 tons of honey per annum, West Azarbaijan province supplies more than 22 percent of the country's annual honey, East Azarbaijan, Fars, Ardebil and Kermanshah provinces come next, and about 43 percent of the honey is produced in other provinces.

MA