DUBAI - Dr. Abdullah Belhaif Al Nuaimi, Cabinet Member and Minister of Climate Change and Environment, today toured the Hatta Honeybee Garden and Discovery Centre, run by ANHB Group, a honey producer and beekeeping equipment supplier with a presence in six countries.
The company owns 8,000 beehives and produces 20 tons of honey per season.
The tour is part of a series of ministerial visits aimed at exploring the challenges facing sectors under the mandate of the Ministry of Climate Change and Environment (MoCCAE), particularly the food sector, and devise solutions to these challenges to boost productivity.
Sultan Alwan, Acting Undersecretary of MoCCAE, and Saif Al Shara, Assistant Undersecretary for the Sustainable Communities Sector and Acting Assistant Undersecretary for the Food Diversity Sector at MoCCAE, accompanied the Minister on the tour.
Sheikh Salem bin Sultan Al Qasimi, Chairman of ANHB Group, briefed Dr. Al Nuaimi on the advanced beekeeping technologies used in the garden to produce high-quality honey. Moreover, they explored the requirements and prospects of increasing the production and improving the competitiveness of locally produced honey.
As part of its mandate to support the agricultural sector and local food production, MoCCAE has issued legislation and launched initiatives that seek to enhance food diversity and security through improving productivity in terms of variety, quantity, and quality.
Given the importance of bees, the Ministry views sustaining the beekeeping practice in the UAE as a priority. According to the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), of the 100 crop varieties that provide 90 percent of the world’s food, 71 are pollinated by bees.
In this context, MoCCAE has approved a law that allows local beekeepers to import new species of bees into the country, leading to a considerable increase in the amount of honey produced locally.
Moreover, it has created sales channels for local honey through signing agreements with major retailers, and through organizing and sponsoring exhibitions where beekeepers can sell their products to consumers directly.
The Ministry has also rolled out complimentary e-services for approving honeybee feed and nutritional supplements, and issued a comprehensive guide on beekeeping as a reference for people working in the field.
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