Kyrgyzstan's honey fair draws international visitors

Kyrgyzstan, also known as the "beekeeping kingdom", launched a honey fair in capital Bishkek, drawing local and international visitors.

Kyrgyzstan is known to produce the best honey in the world, Xinhua reported.

Visitors to the fair, which opened Monday, can enjoy 80 kinds of honey from all regions of the country.

Also on sale are anti-bacterial zabrus (cut strip of the upper lid of the honeycomb), medical royal jelly, bee pollen, bee bread and beeswax candles.

Director of the Union of Beekeepers of Kyrgyzstan, Emma Savitsky, said that last year the union got first place and took home five medals - three golds and two silvers - at the 43rd International Agricultural Congress in Kiev, Ukraine.

More than 140 countries participated in the gathering held by the World Federation of Beekeeping Associations.

The Kyrgyz beekeepers also won the Grand Prix of the World Beekeeping Award for high quality products which are dubbed eco-friendly and unique.

Honey and its derivatives in Kyrgyzstan have several dozen varieties depending on the region.

The difference is not only in the taste, but also their medicinal properties, Savitsky added.

Some 2,000 tonnes of honey are produced every year in the country.

Almost 90 percent of products are exported to countries including Kazakhstan, Russia, China and those in the Arab world.