A prolonged spell of severe cold and dense fog is wreaking havoc on honey farming in Narail, leaving local beekeepers struggling with mounting losses and uncertainty over this season’s production.
As winter tightens its grip on the region, honey cultivators are increasingly anxious, hoping for clearer skies and warmer days to safeguard their livelihoods. The district has endured several days of biting cold, coupled with thick fog that has disrupted not only daily life but also agricultural activity.
Honey production has been particularly hard hit, with bees reluctant to leave their hives to collect nectar from mustard fields.
During visits to mustard fields and beekeeping sites in Narail Sadar upazila, hundreds of bee boxes were observed near blooming mustard crops. Yet there was little to no movement around them—a worrying sign for farmers who rely on this peak season for their honey harvest.
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Beekeeper Md Shompi Sardar explained that daytime fog is preventing bees from leaving their boxes.
“For good honey collection, fog at night and sunshine during the day are necessary. Now the fog lingers throughout the day, so the bees stay inside and cannot collect nectar,” he said.
Md Inamul Haque added, “Due to the fog, very few bees come out of the boxes. As a result, they consume the honey already stored inside. This year, many bees are also dying due to excessive cold and fog.”
Meanwhile, Md Shahidul Islam expressed fears that honey production could decline sharply if the weather fails to improve.
“If favourable weather returns in the coming days, the situation may improve. Otherwise, honey production will drop sharply this season,” he warned.
Highlighting the wider impact of the adverse weather, Md Arifur Rahman, Deputy Director of the Department of Agriculture Extension (DAE) in Narail, said that honey production has been disrupted by the unfavourable conditions.
“Despite the challenges, we are hopeful that honey production may reach 10 metric tonnes or more this year,” he added, noting that the department continues to provide technical support to beekeepers to ensure the production of pure honey.
Read more: Naogaon farmers make a fortune on mustard and honey
With the region’s honey sector facing a delicate balance between weather and livelihood, farmers now await a change in the elements that could determine the season’s yield.