The honey collection season in the Sundarbans, under the Satkhira range of the western zone of the Forest Division, is set to begin on April 7.
Although the season was scheduled to start on April 1 with the issuance of permits from the Forest Department, the official inauguration was delayed due to the Eid holidays.
According to forest officials, several honey collectors set out on four boats into the Sundarbans on April 1.
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Ziaur Rahman, the station officer of Burigoalini in the Satkhira range, handed over the permits to the collectors after offering prayers and seeking blessings.
This year, the government has set a target of collecting 1,500 quintals of honey and 400 quintals of beeswax.
On April 1, a total of nine permits were issued from the Burigoalini and Koyra stations, allowing four boats to enter the Sundarbans.
Fazlul Haque, a honey collector, expressed concerns over illegal harvesting before the official season, fearing it could impact their expected yield.
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“We are entering the forest after Eid with high hopes, but we are uncertain whether we will get the expected amount of honey due to illegal extractions,” he said.
He also urged the government to allow honey collection in the protected areas of the Sundarbans, stating that a significant portion of honey goes to waste if not harvested.
Ziaur Rahman said the usual vibrant inauguration of the honey collection season did not take place this year due to Eid-ul-Fitr.
But, necessary permits have been issued on a limited scale.
During the 2022-23 fiscal year, honey collectors extracted 1,023 quintals of honey and 306.90 quintals of beeswax from the Sundarbans, with 2,046 collectors entering the forest using 290 permits.
In 2023-24, the figures increased to 1,235 quintals of honey and 370.50 quintals of beeswax, with 2,470 honey collectors using 364 permits.
Officials are hopeful that this year’s collection will also meet expectations.