LocationsHas the era of beekeepers replaced fishermen in the Aral Sea region?
Sweet Success: How Ten Beehives Changed a Beekeeper's Life in the Aral Sea Region
January 9, 2025
Bakhtiyar Dzhubaev, an experienced beekeeper from the Aral Sea region, dedicates his time to mentoring aspiring beekeepers, sharing his expertise in this ancient craft
Photo: UNDP Uzbekistan, Arslan Kannazarov
Beekeeping has found new life in the Aral Sea region after 90% of the sea vanished. The scientific foundations of beekeeping in Central Asia were laid by the great Uzbek scholar Abu Ali Ibn Sino (Avicenna), who poetically called honey "hidden dew from flowers." Today, it's not just about honey production but a vital factor in regional development. Beekeeping supports agriculture — one of the country's key economic drivers, ensures food security, preserves biodiversity, and serves as a source of income for local residents.
Bakhtiyar Dzhubaev's story exemplifies the industry's development. He began his professional journey in 1986 as a simple honey packer, and within three years, at age 23, his dedication and professionalism led him to head a production facility that reached an annual output of 60 tons of honey. For over 20 years, he successfully managed state production until the facility ceased operations during a difficult transition period, partly due to worn-out equipment.
The early 1990s marked a turning point in his life. During a period of mass emigration, Bakhtiyar stayed in Uzbekistan: working construction during the day while developing his own apiary in the evenings, starting with just 10 hives and learning from experienced beekeepers from other regions.
"We have many farmers in our country, but few engage in beekeeping – it's like jewelry making, requiring special craftsmanship," Bakhtiyar notes. "Beginning beekeepers need time to understand all the nuances: from hive placement to bee colony behavior. But after the first successful honey harvest, it becomes a part of life."
2017 became a pivotal year for Uzbek beekeeping. The launch of a state support program created new opportunities for beekeepers, and an annual fair in Tashkent united beekeepers from across the country. That same year, collaboration with UNDP began, opening a new chapter in Bakhtiyar's enterprise. From being a simple workshop participant, he grew to become a mentor for a new generation of beekeepers.
Within the UNDP project "The Project for Supporting Self-reliance through Climate-resilient Agriculture in the Aral Sea Region," financially supported by the Government of Japan, Bakhtiyar's enterprise received modern honey packaging equipment and opened a workshop for hive production.
"Thanks to the new equipment, productivity has significantly increased – now we can package over 50 kilograms of honey per hour," Bakhtiyar emphasizes. "And creating our own workshop solved a serious problem with hives. Previously, I had to buy them only in Tashkent. During the last purchase, one hive cost 400,000 soums – I had to pay 40 million for a hundred hives. Now we not only produce them ourselves but also supply other beekeepers in the region, creating new jobs."
During his work with UNDP, Bakhtiyar has trained over 70 people in this craft, mostly women, and his son, following in his father's footsteps, continues the family business. Special attention is given to developing women's entrepreneurship: many women successfully develop apiaries in desert landscapes, effectively utilizing the potential of wild honey plants. Learn more here. For those without startup capital, Bakhtiyar developed a support system: providing 5-10 hives, helping with equipment, and sharing experience, splitting the harvested honey equally.
In the region, the honey collection season begins in April with fruit trees – a crucial period for bee colony development.
"In May, we collect special honey from licorice and oleaster (jiyda)”, Bakhtiyar explains. "Licorice honey is a unique product of our region. In Karakalpakstan and Khorezm, licorice blooms for just 24 days in May, and this wild medicinal honey plant isn't found anywhere else in the country."
From June 10, bees move to camel thorn (yantak) and other wild plants. In mid-summer, they collect honey from blooming alfalfa and sesame, and the season ends in August with cotton honey.
Speaking about apiary productivity, Bakhtiyar notes:
"We get an average of 10 kilograms of honey from each hive. In the 2023-2024 season, my apiary of 200 hives managed to collect 2 tons of honey. Currently, the price holds at 70-80 thousand soums (approximately 6-7 USD) per kilogram."
Through collaboration with UNDP, the beekeeper sold products from 100 hives for a total of 220 million soums (about 18,000 USD), earning a net income of 140 million soums (approximately 11,500 USD).
Bakhtiyar is particularly concerned about licorice preservation:
"In Nukus, private enterprises actively harvest its roots for export to China and Japan for the pharmaceutical industry. But it takes 5 to 10 years for this plant to regenerate in nature. In an arid climate without innovative sustainable farming methods, chances for natural population recovery are extremely low. This isn't just a beekeepers' problem. Environmental organizations should pay special attention to this. Licorice isn't just a honey plant; it's an important medicinal plant that has adapted to the local climate. With increasing droughts and other climate changes, preserving natural honey plants becomes critically important."
For his achievements in agriculture and beekeeping development, Bakhtiyar was awarded the honorary title "Minetkesh-Diykhan" ("hardworking farmer") by the Farmers Council of Uzbekistan. Today, his products are supplied to kindergartens, hospitals, and local markets. After training in the UNDP "One Village – One Product" program, he is preparing to enter export markets, undergoing certification at the UNDP-equipped laboratory of the Sanitary and Epidemiological Welfare Department of the Republic of Karakalpakstan.
