Saturday 16 / November / 2024
Muscat: Honey lovers and those who are looking to follow a healthy lifestyle will surely want to visit the 9th Omani Honey Market, which opens at Muscat Grand Mall tomorrow.
The market is being organised under the patronage of Dr. Ahmed bin Nasser Al Bakri, Undersecretary of the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries, and will see the participation of many distinguished beekeepers from different governorates of the Sultanate, in addition to two specialised companies, which sell beekeeping materials and tools.
Organised as part of a series of agricultural farmers’ markets by the ministry, the market will run until the 31st of December, and aims to introduce Omani honey and other bee products to customers, as well as to facilitate communication between honey producers and consumers.
The ministry also seeks through this market to support the small and medium enterprises specialized in the production of honey, breeding and propagation of honey bees to find more marketing outlets and promotion of Omani honey, which is known for its high quality and nutritional value.
“The beekeepers were invited from all the governorates of the Sultanate to participate in the market, where many varieties of honey are going to be presented, featuring the wide range of honey production in the mountains, plains, desert, grazing and coastal areas,” said the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries in a statement. “These species include Al Sammar honey, Sidr honey, Al Batinah blossom honey and wild honey.
“This is to identify the taste differences of the honey from different environments of the Sultanate and to improve the ways of packing and marketing the Omani honey product by providing the product in packages and marketing volumes to better mimic the modern marketing methods as well as opening new markets for honey producers,” added the ministry. “It also provides the opportunity to conclude future deals and introduce new generations of Omani youth and to educate them all about bees and methods of screening and other transactions and the exchange of ideas and technical expertise between the producers themselves through their gatherings in one place.”
The exhibition also includes a special section for the ministry to introduce their efforts in the development, breeding and propagation of honey bees, as well as containing the needs of bees and beekeepers and many types of Omani honey products, which are many in number because of the Sultanate’s varied breeding environment, which ranges across mountains, plains and deserts.
“Omani honey is characterised by many qualities, which makes it desired at the local and regional levels,” added the ministry. “Omani honey is characterized by physical density in most of the governorates of the Sultanate and the low proportion of water, colour, taste and aroma due to the multiplicity of sources of nectar and pastures that characterise the Sultanate in its multiple geographic regions.
“It is worth mentioning that the previous Omani honey markets witnessed great demand by citizens, residents and visitors,” added the statement. “The amount of honey sold in the eighth Omani honey market reached about two tons of honey of various kinds, with a market value of approximately OMR 50,000
