Honey festival is sweet treat in Uzbekistan

NAMANGAN: The second International Honey Festival, held in the Valley of Legends theme park in Namangan, Uzbekistan, has come to a sweet end among praise by participants.

The three-day annual event draws hundreds of people from Uzbekistan and other countries to celebrate the merits of honey and foster relations and cooperation.

“The main goal of the festival is to create a platform for the international exchange of experience in the field of beekeeping, the introduction of innovative technologies, as well as strengthening cooperation and friendship with the peoples of the Central Asian region,” Namangan resident Asel Arzieva, a blogger and tour operator, told Kabar Agency.

Entrepreneurs and beekeeping specialists from Osh, Jalal-Abad and Batken regions of Kyrgyzstan took part in the festival held on October 27-29.

“I brought here last year’s honey and this year’s harvest, as well as aged honey for up to four years. Uzbek friends buy our environmentally friendly, mountain honey with great pleasure,” said Ilyichbek Orozbaev, from Kyzyl-Kiya, Batken region in Kyrgyzstan, who was participating for the second time in the festival.

Arzieva said that the festival makes a huge contribution to the development of tourism in the region, attracting great attention not only from local residents and neighboring republics, but also from foreign guests.

“Of course, every year the festival organizers try to improve it and invite new guests. During the festival, a lot of seminars and trainings were held, where beekeepers from all regions exchanged opinions and experiences,” she said.

“This type of tourism can be called gastronomic and it is very appropriate in our region. The gastronomic diversity here greatly attracts tourists; our region is considered one of the most “delicious”,” she noted.

Arzieva believes that this festival plays an important role in the development of friendly relations between neighboring countries, between residents of the border regions of Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan.

“In our region, Kyrgyz honey is in great demand; Namangan residents are very fond of Kyrgyz honey. The festival is in all respects of great importance for the Namangan region and the Fergana Valley region. We hope that the festival will grow and gain more popularity among beekeepers and tourists,” she said.

The first edition of the festival was held in Namangan on October 28-30, 2022.