THAILAND: INTERNATIONAL HONEY TRADE STATUS
Dr Panuwan Chantawannakul

This page is the complete text of a PowerPoint presentation given at the
Bees for Development Honey Trade Workshop held in Dublin, Ireland in August 2005.

You can also download the PowerPoint presentation here

Images © Panuwan Chantawannakul

The Tai, ancestor of the modern Thai-Lao-Shan group have practised beekeeping with Apis cerana in Southern Yunnan Province in China for more than one thousand years.

Four native bees (Apis dorsata, A. cerana, A. florea, A. andreniformis) are found in Thailand.

Native honey are still in used in local market.

Photo: A bee tree (Bombax sp.) of A. dorsata

Consumption of A. dorsata honey by Karen hill-tribe in Mae Chaem District, Chiang Mai Province.

A local honey market is carried out between villages.

As a demonstration test for purity, local honey sellers dip a match in the honey and then strike the match; if it flares up then the honey is 'pure'.
 

TRADE & POLICY

Natural honey/Forest Honey

Apis dorsata (most expensive, all year round, US$1.8 for 720 ml).

Apis florea combs are often seen on the Sunday market (it contains many of the larvae and pupae and also a few adult bees in addition to honey.

Honey collection is controlled and organized through issuing collection permits by the forestry departments. Most honey trade is local.

Forest honey has the potential to be marketed as “organic honey” for international trade, if its production and quality can be enhanced in developing countries by integrating beekeeping and forest management.

Mellifera Bee

• Introduced to Thailand in 1980s

• Mite infestation

• Thai apiaries are free from AFB, only 8% are EFB infected

• Apiculture is fast growing industry in the northern part of Thailand

Economic viability of A. mellifera in Chiang Mai Province

Please see PowerPoint presentation for source and additional data

In a study of a small-size operation in Chiang Mai, the largest province in northern Thailand, the cost of beekeeping, was shown to require, on average, capital and operating expenses of $409 per hive for a five year investment.

The rate of return is only 5.11 percent, which is below the 5.75% interest rate (March, 2004) charged on any commercial bank loan.

CULTURED HONEY

Apis mellifera and Apis cerana

• China is the largest honey producing nation (40%) however, Thailand and Vietnam start to emerge onto the world honey production

• Thailand is able to produce 10,000 tonnes of honey per year of which 2,000 tonnes are designated for export.

Longan

Sab-Sue

Lychee

Sunflower

US FDA 2003

• US customs service and the US FDA have found some shipments of honey imported from China to contain low levels of an antibiotic called chloramphenicol.

• FDA has set a zero-tolerance policy for foods containing such antibiotics.

• US, Canadian, UK health authorities are currently testing honey coming in from China, Thailand, Argentina, India, Mexico, and Vietnam.

ROLE OF THE THAI GOVERNMENT

• National bureau of agricultural commodity and food standards, Ministry of Agriculture and co-operatives.

• Good agricultural practice (GAP) on bee farm Year 2003 for the benefit of quality improvement, trade, and consumer protection.

• A manual for the diagnosis of AFB and EFB has been prepared according to OIE guidelines.

DEPARTMENT OF LIVESTOCK, THAILAND

• Assess the standard of bee farms in cooperation with the Ministry of Agriculture.

• Bee health management.

• Assess chemical residue before putting on shelves.

• Accreditation body.

INTERNATIONAL HONEY STANDARDS

• moisture content
• water insoluble solids content
• mineral content (ash)
• acidity
• diastase activity
• hydroxymethylfurfural content
• invertase activity
• proline content
• specific rotation
   

• Lack of beekeeping knowledge, diseases and pests.

• Credit and confidence in products.

• Quarantine system of imported bees and honey bee products.

Contact details:

Dr Panuwan Chantawannakul
Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai, Thailand

Email: panuwan@chiangmai.ac.th
 

  Download the PowerPoint presentation here (171kb .pps file)