The Raw Materials and Research Development Council on Wednesday said it was collaborating with the Federation of Beekeepers Association of Nigeria on coding of locally-produced honey.
Theresa Omara-Achong, the Director, Industrial Extensions Services Department of the Council said this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria in Abuja.
NAN reports that coding is the categorisation of a group of items to facilitate analysis.
She said that the council was working with FEBKAN and bee farmers in the country on coding of locally-produced honey.
Omara-Achong noted that honey-coding would help investors and buyers to know the part of the country the honey was coming from.
He said: “Coding of honey from different parts of the country will help you and to know the part of the country the honey is coming from.
“It will also help to educate people on the different colours of honey we have because the colour of any honey depends on the kind of plants the bee nectar on.
“We have dark, golden and even white honey, which depends on the plants the bees pollinates. It could be tropical regions, grassland; so, coding our honey will educate investors, buyers hopefully.”
She decried the shortage of production of beehive products in the country such as beeswax and propolis.
Omara-Achong said: “There is money to be made from other beehive products such as beeswax, propolis in this country after the honey is extracted from beehives, the honeycomb are thrown away.
“We want to encourage more investors in this area because the beehives can still be used to produce soaps, creams, drugs; a lot of money can still be made from beehives apart from honey.’’
According to her, the council plans to undertake a demonstration workshop in different states in Nigeria, to educate bee farmers on wax rendering.
Omara-Achong said that bee farmers needed to be educated that beehives had more use than just honey, and could also be used for industrial and beauty purposes.
She said: “The country is losing a lot from beeswax got from honeycomb, and there is market for these products. Therefore, bee farmers need awareness on this.
“If sensitisation is done and production is increases, more jobs will created and importation of the raw material used in producing most of these products.”
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