Yemen reaffirms honey heritage at annual national festival
SANAA, Yemen, Jan. 17 (Xinhua) -- The fourth annual Yemeni Honey Festival kicked off on Saturday, under the theme "Yemen, the Home of Honey," aiming to uphold its status as one of the nation's most significant products.
The six-day event features over 250 beekeeping families, 33 honey cooperatives, and over 80 traders and marketers from across Yemen.
Yemeni honey, with a history spanning at least 3,000 years, is revered by the locals as "liquid gold" and ranks among the world's finest and most expensive varieties.
"Our goal for this festival is to create a robust marketing presence for Yemeni honey, showcasing its quality and health benefits, which are evident in the well-being and enhanced immunity of those who consume it," said Sami Taher, a Yemeni honey producer and seller.
Held at Al-Wahdah Stadium during a fragile economic period, the festival aims to support local production, preserve the authenticity of Yemeni honey, and provide a national platform for beekeepers to share their expertise and showcase the finest honey varieties.
Mohammed Al-Auaidy, the deputy director general of the Agriculture and Fisheries Office, said, "The significance of this festival lies in its function as a gathering point for all beekeepers and honey producers."
"It connects everyone involved in this sector, serving as a platform that unifies them to promote and market Yemeni honey, thereby preserving its reputation as a Yemeni product and a vital part of our country's historical heritage," Al-Auaidy, a member of the festival's preparatory committee, told Xinhua.
Traditional Yemeni beekeeping is based on a nomadic practice, where beekeepers move with the seasons to follow flower blooms. However, the method is now severely hindered by the dangers of unexploded ordnance and landmines scattered across the landscape due to prolonged conflict.
Osamah Al-Jalal, another honey producer, said, "We encounter numerous challenges; the primary one is the war that hinders beekeepers' ability to move easily from one location to another, along with the unfair logging of bee pastures such as the Sidr trees."
Yemen's diverse climate and terrain produce a wide array of honey varieties, many of which, especially Sidr honey, are considered among the world's finest. ■