The Sweetest Festival
It now has become a tradition of Batumi’s Summer to hold the sweetest festival of the year. The annual Honey Festival was held for the third time on August 12th on Batumi Boulevard. Up to 40 beekeepers from across Georgia who once again presented their honey and by products for the festival visitors. Honey themed entertainment activities for children, including face-painting, games; live music from folk ensembles and rock band were laid on, keeping the celebration spirit all day.
“I’m participating in the festival for the third time, as it helped me to get income and find new clients for honey. I think it is very important event in promotion of the beekeeping sector in Ajara, which is one of the leading honey producer regions” – Revaz Katamadze, the beekeeper from Kobuleti Municipality.
“For the small honey producers like us, advertising of the products is very expensive and such festivals gives an opportunity for the product promotion that is a very big motivation” – Manana Bolkvadze, the beekeeper from Keda Municipality.
The success of the programme facilitated festival back in 2015, attracted the interest of several government bodies resulting in involvement of the Cultural Heritage Preservation Agency of Ajara and the Agroservice Center under the Ministry of Agriculture of Ajara Autonomous Republic as co-organizers in the second year. This year full sustainability was attained when the Ministry of Agriculture of Ajara officially allocated a budget for the festival with its N(N)LE Agroservice Center as the main organizer of the festival along with the Ajara Beekeepers Business Association (ABBA) under the Ajara Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ACCI) .
“I think, the Honey Festival has found its permanent place in the event calendar of Batumi and will always attract interest of the beekeepers, also, local and foreign tourists, due to its role in the local honey promotion. I hope this festival will be larger in scale in the following years and we’ll definitely have our share”- Gocha Beridze, the head of the Agroservice Center.
The Head of the Ajara Autonomous Republic, Zurab Pataradze and other representatives of the Ajara Government visited the festival and emphasized its importance.
Photo Source: Zurab Pataradze Official Facebook Page
