The honey traders of Sundarbans see hefty profits this year due to the high production of the best quality honey particularly beeswax honey thanks to favourable weather.

The best quality honey comes from Khalsi and Goran flowers in the Sundarbans, located in the southern part of the Khulna division. The honey collection was started in April and will continue until May 31.

This year, the target for honey collection in the southern region of the Sundarbans has been set at 1,000 quintals, while for the best quality honey beeswax, the target has been set at 300 quintals, officials of Sundarbans Forest Department told this correspondent.

In the Shamnagar-Mongla range, officials said, the target has been set to collect 600 quintals of honey and 200 quintals of beeswax, while in the Chandpai range, the target is set at 400 quintals of honey and 100 quintals of beeswax.

Last year, 863 quintals of honey and 258.96 quintals of beeswax were collected in the southern region of the Sundarbans.

Both traders and officials hope that this year, more honey will be collected from the Sundarbans due to an increase in the number of colonies moving into the area from Sarankhola and Chandpai.

In addition to collecting honey from Goran and Khalsi flowers, honey collectors will also gather honey progressively from various other flowering trees such as Keora and Sonalu.

Omar Ali, a honey businessman from Gabura under Patuakhali says that last year he invested around one lakh Taka and sold about 14 maunds of honey. The price of honey varies from one to one thousand Taka to one thousand four hundred Taka per kg depending on the quality.

He hopes to make a similar investment this year as the demand for honey collected from Sundarban is high across the country and in some foreign destinations.