ECONOMICS OF PRODUCTION AND MARKETING OF HONEY IN CHITWAN DISTRICT OF NEPAL

Despite the rise in beekeeping and honey production in Nepal over the years, research on this topic remains limited. To address this gap, a study titled "Economics of Production and Marketing of Honey in Chitwan District of Nepal" was conducted from July to August 2023. This research aimed to assess the economic and marketing conditions of honey production across several municipalities, namely Kalika, Rapti, Khairahani, Ratnanagar, and Bharatpur Metropolitan City, in the Chitwan district. Primary data were collected from 115 registered Apis mellifera beekeepers who had been engaged in beekeeping for more than five years, as well as from 25 marketing intermediaries, using a simple random sampling technique. Data collection involved semi-structured questionnaires for primary data and relevant publications for secondary data. Descriptive and statistical analyses were performed using MS Excel. Results indicated that of the total households surveyed, 90 percent of respondents were male, while 10 percent were female. The average number of beehives per household was 95.84, with honey productivity averaging 24 kg per hive. The benefit-cost ratio was 1.56, with an average production cost per hive of NRs. 6,061.78, a gross return of NRs. 9,479.22, a gross margin of NRs. 6,200.78, and a net margin of NRs. 3,417.44 per hive. Key challenges identified included limited foraging areas for production and intense competition from foreign honey products in the market. The findings of this research suggest that farmers are to decrease the usage of agrochemical in farming lands. Furthermore, concerned authorities are to formulate suitable beekeeper- centric plans and policies and to focus more on exporting the local honey products in the international market.