TEHRAN- As announced by the head of the Agriculture Department of Maragheh county, in the northwestern East Azarbaijan province, 3,370 tons of honey were produced in the county during the past Iranian calendar year 1401 (ended on March 20).

Saeed Kheirandish said that this amount accounted for over 25 percent of the honey produced in the province.

Due to its high quality, the honey produced in Maragheh is exported to other counties and foreign countries.

There are 1,000 beekeepers active in Maragheh and beekeeping has created direct jobs for 2,000 persons.

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