Once flooded with a honey oversupply, local beekeepers in Thailand’s northern province of Phitsanulok have come up with innovative way to turn the amber nectar into new value-added consumer products to generate extra income. Here in this picturesque, flower-filled countryside, the quantity of honey that can be collected amounts to as much as 4 and a half tonnes every year. But as sales volumes have dropped and raising prices was not a way out, the apiarists or honey farmers of Baan Naam Ab Community Enterprise Group in the provincial seat have added value to their commodity, moving from selling only bottled honey to other goods which require more processing. Thanks to the knowledge provided by Phitsanulok’s Naresuan University, local beekeepers have been trained to make honey soap for additional income without wasting the sometime overabundance of pure honey received from over 200 local beehives, painstakingly collected from the nectar of longan flowers, a product which is considered as being top world quality. The apiarists have succeeded in developing natural honey soap bars with a special formula using pure honey as a 30 per cent of the total soap substance. To make a different product, they add bee pollen and powdered turmeric so the soap becomes a skin moisturiser as well. Liquid honey soap using a formula of 40 per cent honey was also created with a delicate texture and a pure honey aroma. This product alone triples the value of the sweet liquid, a value-added plus. "Pure honey can be sold to a wholesale company at around 70 baht per kilo. So that means, you’ll be getting 70,000 baht from a tonne of honey. But If you bottle it and process it yourself, then your value-added goods, made out of a tonne of honey, will be worth around 200,000 baht.” "A bottle of honey can produce up to around 200 honey soap bars. A solid soap bar is sold at 25 baht to wholesalers and 35 baht to retailers”, said Dao Ganget, chairperson of the Beekeepers at Baan Naam Ab Community Enterprise Group. The honey farmers here are determined to keep developing their commodities. They believe there are still a lot of marketing channels out there for their goods, as bee products, namely honey, royal jelly, and bee pollen, have long been well-known and accepted for their medicinal, nutritional and moisturising properties. Local residents are currently experimenting with bee pollen soap, as its main property is to help cure asthma. Despite the fact that people may consume less pure honey, but when it comes to processed honey with many properties, at least those loving to pamper themselves, will find these honey products simply irresistible. (TNA)
Features : Last Update : 14:38:34 26 August 2009 (GMT+7:00)
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