Socioeconomic Analysis of Beekeeping in the Northern region of Iraq

Beekeeping is an old and widely spread activity in many countries around the world, and is considered one of the projects that have speed in the capital cycle, with the pollination of economic and medicinal plants being a parallel activity in most countries. There are an estimated 150,000-200,000 honey bee colonies in the northern region of Iraq. The total honey production in northern Iraq is estimated at up to 550-850 tons, and only a small amount of this is marketed. The apiculture sector in northern Iraq still faces challenges with respect to climate change, marketing, and importation as a result of the quality of honey and competition in the market. The objective of this study was to determine the factors affecting honey production in the Northern region of Iraq. The study utilized data from 184 randomly selected beekeeping households through face-to-face interviews, using a semi-structured questionnaire. The data was analyzed by using descriptive statistics and frequency tables. According to the results, 75.0% were married, 18.5% were over the age of 51, and the average productivity of honey bee colonies was 5-10 kg/year. The study recommended reducing input, while increasing beekeeping production and productivity. It is critical to support beekeepers in their efforts to adopt improved beekeeping technologies.