The Georgian Beekeepers Union Annual Meeting - Advancing Beekeeping
The Georgian Beekeepers Union (GBU) held its annual meeting in Ozurgeti on November 15-16th, attended by over 100 beekeepers and key stakeholders from the honey market. The two-day event featured presentations, an anniversary dinner, and field activities.
A key highlight was the presentation of morphological research on the Georgian bee, revealing that 93% of samples were pure Caucasian Grey Bee, a breed with unmatched global preservation levels. Vakhtang Kakhniashvili, GBU’s chief specialist in the field, shared a message from Dr. Adam Tofilski, author of Hybridisation of Honey Bees in Southwestern, who thanked Georgian beekeepers for their efforts in preserving the native bee. Huge interest was also generated as Erekle Chikvaidze presented the second-phase GBU study on Georgian honey. This marked the first-ever Georgian research presented at the Apimondia Congress, sparking lively discussions and applause. Another key topic was bee venom production, which drew significant attention. With prices for venom reaching 25 USD per gram, beekeepers are increasingly eager to tap into this high-value market. Practical advice on equipment and best practices was shared, offering valuable insights for those interested in diversifying their businesses.
The event was attended by beekeepers from across Georgia, including ethnic minorities from Samtskhe-Javakheti and Kvemo Kartli. The gathering highlighted the growing unity and trust within the beekeeping community, a testament to the efforts of all involved.
The GBU is facilitated by the Mercy Corps Georgia Alliances Caucasus 2 (ALCP2) programme, co-funded by the Swiss Development and Cooperation Agency (SDC), the Austrian Development Cooperation (ADC) and Sweden.