President of the Central Union of Beekeepers of Turkey (TAB), Ziya Şahin, stated that the ban on some plant protection products and pesticides in agriculture is of great importance for the beekeeping sector, saying: “We will move towards the naturalization of honey and end with the death of bees due to these drugs.”

Şahin said that the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry prohibits the use of 6 active substances, which are dangerous to human health and threaten the environment and animal health.

Noting that these active substances “imidacloprid” and “thiamethoxam” belong to the group of “neonicotinoids”, Şahin stated that these substances are very harmful to bees.

Şahin stated that the use of the drugs in question is also prohibited in Europe, adding that the drugs began to be used in Turkey in 2017 and the negative effects were immediately observed. Emphasizing that they started working that year to prevent the use of these drugs, Şahin said that drugs containing harmful active substances and prohibited drugs harm all living beings.

Şahin said: “The negative effects of plant protection products, that is, prohibited drugs, on bees were very high. The effects of drugs are transmitted from the seed to the flower. A field bee can carry the remains of these medicines back to the hive. This residue can also be found in the combs produced by those bees. Drug prohibition was well received in our community. We thank the authorities,” she said.

“WE ARE GOING TOWARDS NATURALIZATION ALSO IN HONEY”

Şahin reported that there are around 9 million beehives in Turkey and made the following assessment:

“About 4 percent of bees were affected by these drugs each year. Every year we leave hundreds of thousands of hives in the wild because of these drugs. Our beekeepers will breathe a sigh of relief and there will be an end to bee deaths due to banned drugs. In addition to the end of the death of bees by these drugs, we will also move towards the naturalization of honey. That’s what we want too.”

Emphasizing that the banned drugs will show their effect on the bee population in 2024, Şahin stated that bee deaths due to these drugs will decrease next year.

AUDIT REQUEST FOR FALSE HONES

Şahin also assessed the sector.

Stating that young people are not engaged in beekeeping and that the average age of the sector is increasing, Şahin pointed out that the sector should be supported more and inspections should be increased against fake honey that does not have the quality of “honey” for increase the tendency to beekeeping activities. (AA)