Sri Lanka’s honey industry stung by bitter shortfalls

By Charithya Kumarasiri

Colombo, May 26 (Daily Mirror) - Sri Lanka produces only around 50 metric tonnes of bees honey annually, far short of the national requirement of nearly 200 metric tonnes, according to P. Sisira Kumara, Director of Extension and Training at the Department of Agriculture.

The shortfall in honey production is being met through imports from India, Australia, and China.

Unless urgent measures are taken to modernise and expand the country’s fragmented beekeeping sector, Sri Lanka’s honey deficit and reliance on imports are likely to deepen further.

He said that the Department of Agriculture is to invest in training and capacity building through institutions such as ISTI Gannoruwa, ISTI Angunukolapelessa, SOA Bibila, SOA Anuradhapura, SOA Labuduwa, and SOA Vavuniya, where bee gardens, workshops, and practical learning facilities are to be established to enhance hands-on experience in modern beekeeping practices.

“Although Sri Lanka has an estimated 17,000 beekeepers, the sector remains unable to scale beyond this limited output,” he said.

Why production falls short of demand

At the core of this problem is the highly fragmented structure of production.

Beekeeping in Sri Lanka is mostly carried out by single farmers operating at a very small scale, often producing only a few bottles of honey at a time.

While beekeeping does not heavily interfere with other farming systems and can be carried out alongside other agricultural activities, the economic returns at individual level remain modest.

This creates a disincentive for expansion, as farmers see little reason to invest in additional bee boxes, expand colonies, or shift towards commercial-scale production.

As a result, honey production remains scattered, inconsistent, and unable to meet rising national demand. This also leads to limited value addition within the sector.

Most producers sell raw honey without processing it into higher-value (Value Added) products.

The lack of value addition further restricts income potential and reduces the attractiveness of beekeeping, particularly among younger generations.

Environmental pressures have further deepened the crisis in the sector. Deforestation has significantly reduced natural forest habitats that once served as rich honey-producing ecosystems, steadily eroding the natural forage base, particularly bee-attracting flora, available to bees.

Another critical threat is the overuse of chemical pesticides in agriculture.

Widespread chemical application has drastically reduced suitable habitats that attract bees. Even in areas where vegetation remains, excessive pesticide use weakens bee colonies, making honey yields increasingly unstable.

Moreover, the inefficient use of existing agricultural landscapes that are naturally suitable for honey production contributes to the limited production of honey.

As highlighted by Mr. Sisira Kumara, rubber plantations experience seasonal flowering that is highly conducive to beekeeping.

However, in many such areas, bee colonies are not strategically positioned, and bee boxes are not installed.

This results in significant missed honey production opportunities, reflecting a broader lack of integration between beekeeping and mainstream agricultural systems, where it is often treated as an isolated activity rather than a coordinated component of agricultural planning.

Beyond environmental and production issues, the sector is also constrained by infrastructural limitations.

Many farmers lack sufficient technical knowledge of modern beekeeping practices. At the same time, the high cost of essential equipment such as bee boxes and protective tools discourages new entrants from engaging in bee keeping and honey production.

Towards a self-sustaining honey industry

In response to these long-standing constraints, the Department of Agriculture is promoting a shift away from isolated production towards more coordinated, cluster-based beekeeping systems.

This approach aims to encourage farmers in a particular region to work collectively in beekeeping and producing honey. Priority is being given to wet zone areas such as Kegalle, Ratnapura, and Kandy, where honey flow conditions are naturally favourable.

There is also growing emphasis on better integration of beekeeping into agricultural landscapes. As noted by Mr. Sisira Kumara, there is consideration of installing bee boxes in areas where floral conditions are favourable, such as in rubber plantations.

To strengthen the sector, the Department of Agriculture is to invest in training and capacity building through institutions such as In Service training Institute (ISTI) Gannoruwa, ISTI Angunukolapelessa, School Of Agriculture (SOA) Bibila, SOA Anuradhapura, SOA Labuduwa, and SOA Vavuniya, where bee gardens, workshops, and practical learning facilities are to be established to enhance hands-on experience in modern beekeeping practices.

In addition, farmers are to be supported through 50 percent subsidies for essential supplies, including bee boxes, incubators, queen rearing kits, feeders, protective gear, and smokers.

Furthermore, support is also to be extended to those involved in producing beekeeping equipment, helping to build a stronger manufacturing base and improve the availability of essential tools within the sector.

Ultimately, Sri Lanka’s bee honey deficit stems from a combination of fragmented production systems, weak economic incentives, environmental degradation, declining floral resources, and underutilised agricultural potential. In response, efforts by the Department of Agriculture to reorganise and modernise the sector aim to strengthen beekeeping as a more productive and coordinated industry.

These interventions are expected to increase local honey production, reduce import dependency, and conserve foreign exchange, while improving livelihoods through higher household incomes and sustainable employment opportunities, particularly for youth moving away from agriculture.

At the same time, strengthening bee populations will enhance biodiversity and natural pollination systems, benefiting both ecosystems and agricultural productivity, while contributing to food security and more sustainable land use.