Chitwan. Honey produced here is rich in nutrients. Tests conducted in the laboratory of the Department of Food Technology and Quality Control have found that the honey produced here is rich in nutrients.

According to Sujan Amgarin, chief of Bee Development Centre Bhandara, the quality of honey produced in Chitwan has been found to be good and rich in nutrients as per the standards set by the Government of Nepal. Beekeeping Development Centre Bhandara and Prime Minister Agriculture Modernization Project Implementation Unit had collected and sent samples from 11 farms for testing the quality of honey. All the samples were found to be of good quality during the test.

“We had sent samples from 11 farms in Chitwan for testing of honey from rudilo, zucchini, chiuri, fapar and wild sources, all of which were found to be hydroxymethyl furfural,” he said. He said that after this test, the honey produced here can be used with confidence.

According to him, the moisture content of water, fuctose glucose ratio, reducing sugar, hydroxymethyl furfural, ash, formic acid, insoluble substances in the water, the amount of sugar was tested. He said, “During the test, hydroxymethyl farfural was found to be only 10 to 15 mg per kg, which is not considered good if it is above 40 mg per kg of honey.” Honey above 40 mg per kilogram of honey is considered to be processed and given intense heat.

Amgai said that the test was conducted after some consumers started spreading confusion by questioning the quality of honey. Samples of honey produced by beekeeping farmers of Kalika Municipality, Ratnanagar Municipality, Khairhani Municipality and Rapti Municipality were sent for testing.

There are 247,000 shell bees in Nepal, including 130,000 melifera bees and 117,000 serna bees. There are 16,500 bee shells in Chitwan alone. Nepal produces 4,000 metric tonnes of honey annually. Of this, Chitwan produces 430 metric tonnes.