Mr Ramaz turned up, no panic at all. I took to him immediately, a very warm-hearted man. (He is showing me the main beekeeping areas in this photo.)
And he was there with his interpreter Tamta – all good on the communication front.
Quickly, Tamta briefed me on the plans for the day and then we weaved off through Tbilisi’s chaotic traffic. A free for all and lots of hooting but fortunately no crashes, even when one looked inevitable.
First stop was the Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources Protection of Georgia.
I was flabbergasted when a whole team of people walked into the meeting room.
I soon realised that this was a measure of Georgia’s determination to get their very fine honey into the European market.
Got to meet the Deputy Minister and the main advisor to the Minister, and talk with the team working to put Georgian honey on the map.
I was incredibly impressed with the commitment that the Ministry is showing to natural and organic beekeeping – and the money they are putting into this.
They explained about the subsidies they are offering to beekeepers to aid organic and natural beekeeping.
I was really interested to hear how they are encouraging a traditional natural approach to beekeeeping, centred around Jara hives – basically hives made out of hollowed tree trunks. And they are placing these in protected areas, where there are no pesticides, hunting etc)
(Definitely in my plans to bring the Jara honey to the UK – it’s the nearest we will get to wild honey.)
All very positive at the Ministry and not just platitudes.
Next, we were off for a chat (and really nice cakes) at the laboratory of the Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources Protection of Georgia National to meet the team responsible for ensuring Georgian honey meets the international standards required for export.
Then a quick stop at the headquarters of the Beekeepers Union, where you can walk in and present your jar and get it filled up just like this! (This type of honey they call chocolate honey.)
And then we were back in the car, fighting through the Tbilisi traffic on the next event- heading to the forest, in which, Tamta the interpretor told me, Jackals live. A place close to the border with Azerbaijan that meets another larger reserve in Azerbaijan. More on this, when I have deciphered my notes 🙂
Raw Honey Man 