The traditional fair of beekeeping and beekeeping equipment – Bee Fest is held until September 27th at the Trg Djece Sarajeva (Children of Sarajevo Square), organized by the Bee Fest Directorate.
According to the organizers, this year’s Bee Fest is another opportunity to promote Bosnia and Herzegovina’s (BiH) honey production. They add that beekeeping in BiH has great potential, especially considering the quality of the honey and the potential for employment in less developed, rural areas.
The representative of the Bee Fest Directorate, Samira Arnautovic-Katica, said that they organize this event every year with the aim of enabling the promotion of domestic producers of honey and herbal preparations.
”During these few days, in addition to the opportunity to show off and brand themselves in the capital of BiH, we try to arrange meetings and establish cooperation between beekeepers. We are pleased that, after several unsuccessful ones, we are gathering in a season that was, for the most part, very successful for Bosnian beekeepers,” she stated.
Arnautovic-Katica said that at this year’s Fair of beekeeping and beekeeping equipment – Bee Fest, exhibitors from all over BiH are present. In addition to individual beekeepers, there are also representatives of beekeepers’ associations from Livno, Tesanj, Milici… who represent their members and everything they have learned through the beekeeper education project implemented by the Organization Nodas Sarajevo.
She pointed out that this is also a way of fighting counterfeiting.
”A few days ago, we had information about how many counterfeits are present, despite all measures and efforts, both in the Federation of BiH (FBiH) and in the Republika Srpska (RS). This is our way of contributing to that fight,” Arnautovic-Katica said.
She expressed her satisfaction that this year when it comes to beekeeping, the season was mostly good.
Moreover, she adds that the quality of honey from BiH has been heard far beyond the borders of our country, so BiH beekeepers market their products to distant, very demanding markets.
”The management of Bee Fest deals with the education of both beekeepers and citizens throughout the year, and strives to raise awareness of the need to use and consume bee products throughout the year, primarily to strengthen immunity and strengthen the body,” she emphasized.
At the fair again this year, you can find a large range of products made on the basis of bee products and medicinal plants, as well as cosmetics made on a natural basis.
Arnautovic-Katica mentioned that next year will be 20 years since the first Bee Fest was held and that they only ‘paused’ last year, when, due to the epidemic, they were unable to organize this event.
Ranka Mirkovic from the beekeeping center “Batinic” said that for many years they have been engaged in the production of honey and preparations based on herbs and bee products.
”We have our own apiaries. We primarily have honey, pollen, propolis, royal jelly… We also make preparations based on herbs and bee products,” Mirkovic stated.
She added that they have been coming to the Fair of beekeeping and beekeeping equipment – Bee Fest since the very beginning, for about twenty years.
