About forty five beekeepers gathered in Mukachevo for the annual September festival "Honey feast." In addition to Transcarpathian beekeepers, beekeepers from Lviv, Ternopil, Ivano-Frankivsk, Poltava, Kirovohrad and Khmelnytsky regions presented their products. Buyers were offered more than a dozen of different varieties of honey: buckwheat, sunflower, linden, acacia, forbs, and even those varieties that are available only in central Ukraine. Mukachevo beekeeper father Ivan answering why Transcarpathia has such a short range of varieties, says: "We do not sow fields with honey crops, therefore bees are limited to those seasonal, located near the apiary." Yet sales hit in all fests is still classic honey from buckwheat and forbs.
Ms. Lesia came to the festival from Kirovohrad. She cuts combs right out of a framework. 100 grams of this product cost 15 UAH. One of the most expensive products on the market is ambrosia.100 grams of powder cost 100-120 UAH.
Men mostly gather near long racks of mead: classic, cherry, mint. For lovers of soft drinks there is a honey brew. Pollen, zabrus are for those who use bee products as medicines. For the most courageous there is the potion on wax moth larvae. Beekeeper Ludmila Migovich says about this drink: "This is God-given natural cure for stroke recovery and for the treatment of tuberculosis." Men are recommended to use potion on bees for treating prostate. But the greatest delicacy at the fair is the nut mixture with honey. This is a real storage of potassium – an essential microelement for the heart and muscles. This "walnut salad" includes: almonds, hazelnuts, dried apricots, raisins, walnuts and cashews. Sellers say that it tastes better than any Snickers.
Buyers are looking at golden brown jars to choose the best. Most people prefer to have crystallized honey.
One of the most authoritative beekeepers at the festival – Vasyl Gaidar – Candidate of Agricultural Sciences, Senior Researcher, half of his life worked as the Head of the Department of Breeding and Reproduction of Carpathian Bees at Beekeeping Institute named after P. Prokopovich of the National Academy of Agrarian Sciences of Ukraine. Under the guidance of Vasyl Antonovich five types of Carpathian bees have been created. They are among the best in all characteristics, so are in great demand both in Ukraine and abroad. But the scientist says: "Despite the good breed there is little honey in Transcarpathia, because the forage is scarce, so most of our beekeepers are involved in breeding bee colonies." As for the quality and varieties of honey at the fair, PhD admits – this year most honey was brought from central Ukraine. The reason was the hot weather.
Залишити відгук
You must be logged in to post a comment.