Gaza beekeeper blames dry winter for low yield

Описание: (27 Apr 2023)
GAZA HONEY
SOURCE: ASSOCIATED PRESS
RESTRICTION SUMMARY:
LENGTH: 2:07
ASSOCIATED PRESS
Rafah, Gaza Strip - 27 April 2023
1. Various of beekeepers collecting hive frames from beehives
2. Various of bees in hive and on frames
3. Various of beekeeper holding hive frame
4. SOUNDBITE (Arabic) Hasan al-Zakzouk, beekeeper:
"This year, the production is not the same as every other year, and the reason is clear: climate change. There is an imbalance in the weather. During the winter, it did not rain and the late winter led to the lack of flowering, which led to a decline in the bees' production."
5. Various of beekeepers collecting hive frames from beehives, bees on frames
6. SOUNDBITE (Arabic) Hasan al-Zakzouk, beekeeper:
"The honey production of the hive is (usually) around 12 to 13 kilograms, but this year there is a decline in production. So, it has become 10 kilograms. This is the average production of the hive and sometimes it is less, when it is around 10 kilograms."
7. Various of beekeepers puffing smoke on beehive
8. SOUNDBITE (Arabic) Hasan al-Zakzouk, beekeeper:
"The price that we set for this year ranges from 50 to 60 shekels ($13.75-$16.5) per kilogram, so that anyone can buy it. But people will not be able to afford anything more expensive than that because their purchasing power is weak and there's people who don't have an income that they can buy with. So we are making the price suitable for everyone."
9. Various of beekeepers carrying hive frames from beehives to truck
10. Various of beekeepers working

STORYLINE:
Hasan al-Zakzouk, a beekeeper in the southern Gaza Strip, is facing a crisis because last winter's warm and dry weather has wiped out many of the plants in the area.

His honeybees are thus pollinating less than they did in previous season and his honey production has dropped.

As al-Zarouk and other Palestinian beekeepers in the impoverished coastal enclave watched their honey production decrease, his income has also taken a hit.

The reasons for the drop in pollination may be manifold but many beekeepers blame climate change.

"During the winter, it did not rain and the late winter led to the lack of flowering, which led to a decline in the bees' production," al-Zarouk says.

Al-Zarouk’s typical annual production of 12-13 kilograms a year has fallen to 10.

Even with the decline in production, al-Zarouk wants to make sure that he sells honey at an affordable price.

For over a decade, Gaza has suffered from rising poverty and the enclave is crippled by an Israeli-Egyptian blockade imposed after Islamic militants, Hamas, seized power from the internationally recognized Palestinian Authority in 2007.

"The price that we set for this year ranges from 50 to 60 shekels ($13.75-$16.5) per kilogram, so that anyone can buy it. But people will not be able to afford anything more expensive than that," he says.

AP video shot by Mohammad Jahjouh

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