TEHRAN- As announced by a provincial official, it is expected that annual honey production will reach over 32,000 tons in West Azarbaijan province, in the northwest of Iran, in the current Iranian calendar year, which ends on March 20, 2024.Saying that the average production of each modern beehive is 17 kilograms and of native beehive is 5.5 kilograms, Khosro Shahbazi, the head of the provinces Agriculture Department, said that there are more than 1,345,000 beehives in the province, of which 110,471 are native beehives and the rest are modern.The official has announced that 30,000 tons of honey was produced in the province during the past Iranian calendar year 1401 (ended on March 20).He said that about 24 percent of honey produced in the country is produced in this province, and in addition to consumption in domestic markets, part of it is also exported to the Arab countries of the Persian Gulf.West Azarbaijan is one of the provinces with a pleasant climate with green plains and foothills and a very high plant diversity with more than 1,500 plant species, and its summers are rich and favorable for beekeeping.With a good annual growth of five percent in the beekeeping industry, this province has been able to rank first in the country in honey production in recent years, and its modern apiaries are increasing every day.According to the latest census of the country's apiaries by the Agriculture Ministry, the production of honey is 136,000 tons in the country, a board member of the Iran Beekeepers Association announced.Mohammad Fekri said that with producing 30,000 tons of honey per annum, West Azarbaijan province supplies more than 22 percent of the country's annual honey, East Azarbaijan, Fars, Ardebil and Kermanshah provinces come next, and about 43 percent of the honey is produced in other provinces.MA