Muhammad started his activity with ten hives, and now their number has increased to one hundred. He usually collects honey twice a year; however, this season he decided to leave some honey for the bees as feed. As a result, compared to last year, when the harvest was three tons, he collected 500 kilograms less. Additionally, unfavorable climatic conditions—dry spring and hot summer—have also negatively affected the amount of honey collected. Currently, he sells honey at a price of 800 soms per kilogram.
“This year we collected 500 kilograms of honey, which is half a ton. The weather in spring and summer was extremely unfavorable, so the bees collected less nectar. Last year, the harvest nearly reached three tons. Everything depends on the climatic conditions. We take the bees to summer pastures in Leilek and the Kan-I-Gut mountains in Samarkandek. We have two varieties of honey, including sainfoin, as the bees collect nectar from various plants. This affects the composition, color, and texture of the honey. We have regular customers, including from Russia, who buy 20 kilograms or more. Also, friends and relatives from Bishkek buy our honey every year. We sell it both in local villages and at district markets,” he says.
Currently, Muhammad Tashbaev, who is 61 years old, is also engaged in growing seedlings and has established an apricot orchard covering three hectares. However, he has now passed on agricultural affairs to his children and focused on beekeeping. His wife helps him with this.
“This is a family business. My children have grown up next to the bees since birth. In our region, beekeeping is not well developed: there are fewer than a hundred beekeepers in the Batken region, and the volume of production does not allow for honey exports beyond the country. Compared to other regions, we have a different composition of honey, as the vegetation and flowers are different. Our volumes are also small, so we focus only on the domestic market. Last year, ten beekeepers united to create a cooperative, but due to the low harvest this year, export became impossible. We hope for the possibility of export in the future,” he adds.
Muhammad is raising seven children.
