Adana continues to hold a leading position in honey production, bolstered by its lush vegetation and ongoing support. Last year, around 2,470 beekeepers in the city managed 495,000 hives, producing 12,280 tons of turkish honey. The region's beekeepers have already started extracting this year's first batches of honey from the combs. 
The city's favorable climate and diverse natural and agricultural landscapes contribute to its prominence in beekeeping. During winter, beekeepers place their hives among citrus orchards, relocate them to sunflower fields in early spring and summer, and later move to the rich flora of the Toros Mountains and other elevated areas to harvest summer honey.
The harvesting season began with the collection of citrus honey. Mehmet Nuri Kökçüoğlu, the provincial director of agriculture and forestry, supports Adana’s beekeepers, highlighting the Çukurova region’s optimal ecological conditions and diverse flora, which attract local and visiting beekeepers from November to May.
"We play a significant role in beekeeping, with our citrus orchards in the plains and abundant flora in the mountainous areas. Annually, about 150,000 hives from 33 provinces winter in our region. We have 495,000 active hives, and 2,470 families depend on beekeeping. With the 12,280 tons of honey produced, we are Türkiye’s second largest producer," he stated, adding, "Our citrus trees yield not just fruit but also honey. We’ve just harvested the first citrus honey of the season here in our province. Congratulations."
Kökçüoğlu also noted the continuous governmental support for beekeepers, including a recent subsidy of TL 25 million ($770,000) for 2023.
"The Provincial Directorate offers training, hive assistance, medications for bee diseases, and provides sugar for winter upkeep and feeding. We plan to increase these supports in the future," he further explained.
In the near term, Adana's beekeepers will gather sunflower honey as the fields bloom, subsequently relocating their bees to the city’s high plateaus to remain there until late autumn.
The city's favorable climate and diverse natural and agricultural landscapes contribute to its prominence in beekeeping. During winter, beekeepers place their hives among citrus orchards, relocate them to sunflower fields in early spring and summer, and later move to the rich flora of the Toros Mountains and other elevated areas to harvest summer honey.
The harvesting season began with the collection of citrus honey. Mehmet Nuri Kökçüoğlu, the provincial director of agriculture and forestry, supports Adana’s beekeepers, highlighting the Çukurova region’s optimal ecological conditions and diverse flora, which attract local and visiting beekeepers from November to May.
"We play a significant role in beekeeping, with our citrus orchards in the plains and abundant flora in the mountainous areas. Annually, about 150,000 hives from 33 provinces winter in our region. We have 495,000 active hives, and 2,470 families depend on beekeeping. With the 12,280 tons of honey produced, we are Türkiye’s second largest producer," he stated, adding, "Our citrus trees yield not just fruit but also honey. We’ve just harvested the first citrus honey of the season here in our province. Congratulations."
Kökçüoğlu also noted the continuous governmental support for beekeepers, including a recent subsidy of TL 25 million ($770,000) for 2023.
"The Provincial Directorate offers training, hive assistance, medications for bee diseases, and provides sugar for winter upkeep and feeding. We plan to increase these supports in the future," he further explained.
In the near term, Adana's beekeepers will gather sunflower honey as the fields bloom, subsequently relocating their bees to the city’s high plateaus to remain there until late autumn.