The season to collect honey from the world’s largest mangrove forest, Sundarbans, began on Saturday. 

The honey collection season was officially kicked off at the office of the Satkhira Range of the Forest Department.

Divisional Forest Officer (DFO) of Sundarbans West Forest Division Abu Naser Mohsin Hossain presided over the opening ceremony while Forest Conservator Mihir Kumar graced the ceremony as a special guest.

In the opening ceremony, it was informed that this year, a target has been sent to collect 1,050 quintals of honey and 264 quintals of wax. 

The government will pay Tk1,500 per quintal of honey and Tk2,000 per quintal of wax as revenue.

Honey collectors were given a permit (pass) after training on the premises of the Government Primary School adjacent to the Burigoalini Forest Office of the West Forest Division. With the pass, the honey collectors will go to the deep forest to collect honey.

The patrolling of the Forest Department has been strengthened to collect honey in the Sundarbans without any hindrance and the collectors were advised to move carefully to protect themselves from the attack of wild animals, said Abu Naser Mohsin Hossain.

Most of the honey is found in the Satkhira range of the Sundarbans.

According to the Forest Department, 1,012 permits were issued for the collection of honey and wax in 2021. Against the permits, 6,797 honey collectors went to the Sundarbans and collected 3,376.90 tons of honey and 113.09 tons of wax. Tk25,64,363 revenue was earned from honey and Tk10,25,850 from wax.

In 2022, the revenue from honey was Tk36,93,600 and from wax it was Tk15,31,200. That year, 2,320 quintals of honey and 696 quintals of wax were found in the Sundarbans.