Honey season is not fun in Vu Quang

This year's honey harvest season for Vu Quang people is later than before.

Normally, in the last days of March, the people of Vu Quang are bustling with joy as they harvest drops of sweet honey. However, this year, the atmosphere in this land famous for its "liquid gold" specialty is quite quiet. The cold rains that lasted from the end of 2024 to the beginning of 2025 have caused many of the people's bee colonies to die and become weak.

According to local records, the rate of bee deaths due to adverse weather this year is higher than in previous years. The remaining number is due to continuous heavy rain and prolonged low temperatures, which weaken the bee colonies, significantly reducing their ability to fly to find honey. The consequences are not only a decrease in the number of colonies but also a direct impact on productivity and honey harvest time.

The rate of bee deaths due to adverse weather this year is higher than in previous years.

Ms. Nguyen Thi Thao - a long-time beekeeper in village 1 - Bong Giang (Duc Giang commune) said: "My family has 50 bee colonies, but in the recent cold spell, 5 bee colonies died. A few years ago, at this time, we would have harvested at least two batches of honey, but this year there hasn't been a single drop."

According to Ms. Thao, last year, her family harvested more than 500 kg of honey, bringing in a decent income. Now the family can only wait for the coming days, hoping for more favorable weather so that the bees can recover and bring back honey.

Beekeepers in Duc Giang commune are worried because bees produce honey later than previous years.

“The erratic weather not only reduces the number of bees but also delays the honey harvest. Last year, people were able to harvest the first batches of honey from the end of March, but this year, due to weak bees and less foraging, the harvest time is expected to be significantly later. This not only affects people's immediate income but can also affect the quality of honey if the weather continues to be unfavorable,” said Mr. Nguyen Minh Vinh, Secretary of the Duc Giang Commune Party Committee.

Mr. Tran Viet Chau (Dang Thi village, Tho Dien commune) with an "empty" honey bridge.

Sharing the same concern, Mr. Tran Viet Chau in Dang Thi village (Tho Dien commune) shared: "My family has built 45 bee colonies, but the cold spell at the beginning of the year has destroyed 10 colonies. In the decades I have been in this profession, I have never seen such harsh weather as this past time. The rain and cold are erratic, so the bees cannot make honey. Surely this year's honey crop will not yield as much as previous years. Seeing the bee colonies depleted like this, I and many other beekeepers are very worried."

Mr. Chau added that if the weather in the coming days is favorable, it will take about a week for farmers to harvest the main honey crop of the year. Hopefully, this year, the honey market will have a better price so that farmers can worry less.

Hopefully, this year, honey prices will be better so that Vu Quang people can worry less.

Vu Quang honey is famous for its unique, delicious flavor thanks to the region's rich natural flower resources. However, with current difficulties, beekeepers are facing a less than happy season.

According to Mr. Vo Quoc Hoi - Deputy Head of the Department of Agriculture and Environment of Vu Quang district, the unfavorable weather has caused significant damage to the beekeeping industry of the district. The whole district still has about 9,000 bee colonies, a decrease of about 2,000 colonies compared to last year. The decrease in total colonies and the later honey harvest compared to previous years have greatly affected the income of the people. The experts have advised the people to take good care of the remaining bee colonies, and when the weather is favorable, they need to multiply the colonies again to ensure productivity in the next crops.

Source: https://baohatinh.vn/mua-mat-ong-kem-vui-o-vu-quang-post285897.html