Assal Taby-e- Nuristan
The province of Nuristan lies within the Nuristan National Park in Afghanistan, a region covered by a variety of forests in which the Apis dorsata lives. This species is native to mountain forests of oak, pine, walnut, wild pomegranate and others. It lives between 1500 and 4000 m altitude in south-east Afghanistan. The Apis dorsata produces a honey that is more natural than that produced in other regions of the country, and is exceptionally well known in southern Afghanistan. . This bee species enjoys a rainy climate in summer and spring and a cold climate in winter; it rarely shows swarming behaviour and weighs between 5 and 7 grams. It is dark yellow in colour, with a black-lined abdomen and long hairs on its head. It pollinates wild flowering plants such as Shator Khar (Alhagi graecorum), Zabansag (Cynoglossum offcinale), Qasedak (Taraxacum platycarpum) and some trees such as the apple tree (Malus pumila), the wild almond tree (Amygdalus scoparia) and the walnut tree (Jugalandes regia). Local communities produce terracotta pots that are hung from trees and under rocks and shrubs in places where this species typically makes its hives. When harvest time arrives, the jars are removed and the honey can be easily taken out and processed. The honey is very sweet and has a colour ranging from yellow to bronze, with a high concentration and transparency. Each year, bees can produce between 55 and 70 kg of honey. Due to the climate and the availability of pollen sources, honey producers can produce three times a year.
To encourage hive production, local communities place terracotta pots in various places where bees like to make hives: hanging from trees, under bushes and on rocky surfaces. The hives are spaced at least 0.5-1 km apart. Harvesting, which usually takes place in August and September, is done by the locals early in the morning, when the bees are away from their hives. After harvesting, locals traditionally process the honey by hand and put it into earthenware jars for storage, also using the remaining honey wax as medicine.
The local community in the province of Nuristan considers natural honey as a sacred product. Most commonly, people use honey for breakfast with nuts and bread. Other communities use it to prepare Majun, a mixture of honey, almonds, pistachios, sultanas, walnuts, sesame, hazelnuts, poppy seeds and cannabis seeds. A spoonful of this mixture once a day with milk or tea at night is common in the northern part of the country.
The province of Nuristan is difficult to cross due to the existence of high forest-covered mountains and the lack of roads. There is also a lack of flat land, so agriculture does not meet the food and economic needs of the local population. The main income of the population comes from livestock, pastoralism, the collection of natural honey, wild medicinal plants and forest fruits for hundreds of years. The use of honey has been part of the food culture of the local communities in this area for hundreds of years and forms part of the household income.
The districts of Darra-e- Pich and Wagal are the best places for natural honey production in the province of Nuristan, with a total number of over 15,000 people. The tribes living here are Kata, Kam and Kalsha.
Unfortunately, the introduction of non-native species such as Apis cardica is jeopardising natural honey production. These introduced species have a higher yield, giving producers more product to produce and sell. Often, beekeepers also feed the bees extra sugar to obtain additional product. This in turn affects natural honey production. But due to climate change, bees are migrating to the mountains, making it difficult to harvest honey. This is why it is necessary to preserve the natural honey bees in the province of Nuristan, Afghanistan.
