According to TUIK data, Turkey's 2022 honey production amount was 118 thousand 297 tons. 85% of the total honey production is obtained from forests and places considered forests.
In our country, where there are 8 million 734 thousand 938 hives in total, approximately 25% of the honey production is obtained directly from the fields with cannabis in the form of pine honey. In our country, where 90% of the world's pine honey production is met, these fields are mainly Muğla and Aydın (82.800 hectares), Antalya (2.600 hectares), Balıkesir (2.000 hectares), İzmir and Manisa (4.300 hectares), Çanakkale (950 hectares). located in the provinces. The new areas determined in the renewed Management Plans of the General Directorate of Forestry are divided as Basra Pine Honey Honey Forest Operation Class.
The Honey Forest Action Plans put into practice by the General Directorate of Forestry have also contributed greatly to the fact that our country ranks first in the world in honey production. I. Honey Forest Action Plan covering 2013-2017 and II. The Honey Forest Action Plan was prepared and put into practice. Within the framework of these plans, by the end of 2018, 2023 honey forests with a colony capacity of 2022 thousand 89 were established on an area of 869 thousand 954 hectares, continuing to contribute to the country's economy.
While 2022 honey forests will be established in our country in 64, 56 thousand 287 hectares of forest area with a capacity of 3 thousand 754 colonies will be put into service of our beekeepers, it is aimed to establish 2023 more honey forests in 60 and 2024 more honey forests in 50.
The top 10 provinces with the highest number of honey forests are Mersin 36, Antalya 25, Çanakkale 24, Kütahya 24, İzmir 23, Adana 20, Konya 19, Afyonkarahisar 18, Sakarya 18, Balıkesir 17, Bursa 17, Isparta 17.
While establishing honey forests, priority is given to trees and plants compatible with the region, while red pine, chestnut, linden, acacia, rhododendron, pear and so on. Priority is given to planting plants with high nectar yield, such as thyme, royal jelly, sainfoin, clover, vetch, sage, sage, black pepper, mint and rosemary, in order to enrich forest trees, especially in areas where forest cover is not dominant.