Sweet honey season in the mountains

Huong Son people are often busy during honey harvest days.

FRAGRANCE IN EVERY DROP OF NONE

In June, the land and sky of Huong Son seem to awaken after the summer rains. The green stretches across the hillsides, interspersed with clusters of flowers quietly blooming. In the midst of that vast space, swarms of bees flutter, diligently visiting each flower petal, absorbing the scent of the sun and wind. This is also the time when honey season is at its peak, when the vitality of nature blends with the hurried heartbeat of the little bees.

Mr. Ho Van Binh's small garden is now fragrant with the smell of honey.

In the shady garden, Mr. Ho Van Binh (Dong Phuc village, Quang Diem commune) quietly takes care of each bee colony. His skin is tanned by the sun, his eyes squinting behind the protective net, he seems to blend into the fragrant smell of honey that is gradually ripening in each layer of golden wax.

With his experience, Mr. Binh shared: “Bees have a very high flocking nature and are sensitive to external influences such as weather, light and temperature. Therefore, beekeepers must not only simply take care of them but also really “understand” them, listening to every buzzing sound and every small movement in the hive. Only then will the bee colony be healthy and produce delicious, sweet honey.”

Mr. Binh always spends a lot of time checking the bee colonies every day.

Having been involved in beekeeping for over 20 years, Mr. Binh has always spent a lot of time meticulously taking care of his bee colonies. Thanks to his dedication, his family's economy has become increasingly stable and prosperous. He shared: "Last year, with only 70 bee colonies, my family harvested nearly 800kg of honey. The quality honey is popular with customers, selling for 200,000 VND per liter, helping my family earn nearly 160 million VND."

As for Mr. Le Khanh Ngoc (Yen Long village, Quang Diem commune), a new day will begin by taking care of 50 bee colonies - the "little friends" who have been with him through many honey seasons.

Honey harvesting has no fixed time but depends on the health of each colony and natural conditions.

Sharing his experience in honey harvesting, Mr. Ngoc said: “There is no fixed time for honey harvesting, but it depends on the health of each colony and natural conditions. When the bees are healthy and diligently collect honey, I can harvest honey in about 8 days, but there are also colonies that need 15-17 days to have enough honey to harvest.”

When collecting honey, Mr. Ngoc's every step is done very gently and carefully. He uses a specialized knife to cut off the wax layer on top of the fully ripe honey cells. After preparation, each honeycomb, heavy with honey, is carefully placed into the honey extractor, starting the process of separating the golden, smooth honey from the wax.

Honey extraction process from wax extraction to honey extraction.

Thanks to his caring hands and constant love, last year, his bee colonies produced nearly 600 liters of honey. With a selling price of about 200,000 VND per liter, his family earned nearly 120 million VND. In addition, he also breeds more bees, sells beekeeping tools, creating a stable and regular source of income. This year, although the weather is somewhat erratic, thanks to his extensive experience and careful care, his bee colonies are still growing well, expected to yield the same as last year.

But above all, what makes Mr. Ngoc stick with the profession is not only the economic value. Every time he spins honey, smelling the thick fragrance of flowers mixed with the golden honey, he feels his heart calm down. In the midst of a busy life, the feeling of living close to nature, being immersed in the changing seasons of the earth and sky is the greatest gift that beekeeping brings.

WHEN THE HONEY DROP IS TAKEN ON WINGS TO FLY AWAY

Not only stopping at small-scale production, many Huong Son people have boldly developed the beekeeping profession in a professional direction to bring their hometown honey further into the market. Currently, in the area, there are 3 honey products that meet OCOP standards, of which 1 product is recognized as 4 stars and 2 products are 3 stars.

The whole Huong Son district has 4 honey products that meet OCOP standards.

In 2024, Cuong Nga Honey Cooperative in Quang Diem commune will become the first facility in Ha Tinh to have honey products meeting 4-star OCOP standards. This achievement is the result of continuous efforts to improve the quality and develop the traditional beekeeping profession in the locality.

To achieve this high standard, Mr. Nguyen Van Cuong - Director of Cuong Nga Honey Cooperative and his members have focused on comprehensive investment from the stage of selecting good bee breeds, to the process of harvesting, processing and packaging products according to a closed process, ensuring food hygiene and safety and preserving the natural flavor.

Cuong Nga Honey Cooperative has 18 members with more than 1,500 bee colonies.

Currently, the cooperative has 18 members with more than 1,500 bee colonies. In addition to honey production, the cooperative has also expanded into the business of bee breeding and beekeeping tools. In addition, the cooperative regularly organizes technical training sessions, instructing people on how to raise and care for bee colonies properly, contributing to the development of sustainable beekeeping.

“Regarding output, the cooperative always focuses on building a brand of clean, pure honey and establishing relationships with reputable distribution channels both inside and outside the province. In addition, honey is also distributed through reputable retail channels, clean food store chains and e-commerce platforms, contributing to increasing value and expanding the consumption market,” said Mr. Cuong.

Cuong Nga Honey Cooperative has harvested 12 tons of honey since the beginning of the season.

Since the beginning of the harvesting season, Cuong Nga Honey Cooperative has harvested 12 tons of honey. After processing, the products are carefully packaged and quickly brought to market, receiving many positive feedbacks from consumers thanks to their delicious, pure flavor and stable quality.

Mr. Nguyen Van Cuong shared: “I hope that beekeeping in Huong Son will not only stop at the household scale but will become more professional and systematic. When the profession develops sustainably, people will have a more stable livelihood, thereby sticking with the profession for a long time. That belief is the driving force for the cooperative to constantly improve the process, enhance quality and expand the scale of production to bring Huong Son honey further.”

Cuong Nga Honey Cooperative is applying modern techniques to produce the highest quality honey drops for customers.

Along with Cuong Nga Honey Cooperative, other honey facilities in Huong Son area are also making efforts to develop beekeeping for honey.

With the desire to increase the value of Huong Son honey, in 2020, Mr. Nguyen Tri Thuc (Che Bien village, Son Kim 2 commune) decided to invest in buying more bee breeds, developing his family's bee colony to 100 colonies. By 2023, when the bee colony developed well, the family continued to invest in building a factory, buying some machinery such as: water-lowering machine, vacuum machine, heat press machine... to produce honey according to OCOP standards.

Mr. Nguyen Tri Thuc (middle) is determined to develop the Huong Son honey brand to reach the whole country.

In July 2024, the product “Thuc Dung Honey” was officially ranked 3-star OCOP. Not only is it a recognition of quality, meeting OCOP standards also opens up opportunities for the product to gradually affirm its position in the market.

Since being recognized, Thuc Dung honey has been present in many provinces and cities across the country, especially the southern provinces. Mr. Thuc said: “We pay great attention to upgrading packaging, improving design and maintaining product quality. Our biggest wish is to bring Thuc Dung honey to more consumers, so that the products of Huong Son homeland have a solid and long-term position in the hearts of customers nationwide.”

With the tireless efforts of the people and the support of cooperatives, the beekeeping profession in Huong Son is gradually transforming towards professionalism and sustainability. Each drop of honey is not only crystallized from the scent of wild flowers but also imbued with the sweat, passion and aspiration of the people who are attached to the mountains and forests of their homeland.

Video : Sweet honey season in Huong Son.

Huong Son district has more than 21,000 bee colonies, in the first 5 months of the year, 69 tons of honey were harvested, and it is estimated that the whole year will yield more than 117 tons. Although the weather is not entirely favorable, the bee colonies are still growing well, and the honey is of high quality. People have paid more attention to techniques and invested in technology, helping to increase the value of the products. At the same time, building a brand and developing according to OCOP standards is the right direction, creating momentum for the local beekeeping industry to develop sustainably. In the coming time, the locality will continue to support potential models, encourage people to expand production scale, associated with improving quality and developing a stable consumption market.
Mr. Do Thanh Tinh - Deputy Head of Department of Agriculture and Environment of Huong Son district

Source: https://baohatinh.vn/mua-mat-ngot-noi-mien-son-cuoc-post288872.html