Thursday, October 29, 2009

Sumbawa honey has become national icon

ForestryMinister Zulkifli Hasan said white honey from Sumbawa island`s forests hasbecome the icon of Indonesian honey because of its exclusive taste and quality.

"Because of its uniqueness, white honey from Sumbawa has become a nationalicon," the minister said when launching Nusantara Honey Week I hereTuesday.

Held for the very first time, the opening of Nusantara Honey Week lasting untilJuly 17 was among other things marked by a honey drinking party participated inby 10,000 people, most of them students.

The manager of the Museum of Indonesian Records MURI) Sri Widayati who alsotook part in the honey drinking party said the event would be listed as a newrecord because of the number of people who participated.

The record established by the honey drinking party surpassed that of a BeePollen eating event organized by beekeepers in Lumbang sub district,Probolinggo district, East Java, on November 29, 2008, in which 1,004 peopletook part.

Zulkifli said all parties must continue publicizing the uniqueness of Sumbawawhite honey that has become the icon of Indonesian honey, so that more and moretourists would visit Sumbawa.

The promotions should among other things popularize the notion that one cannotbe considered to have visited West Nusa Tenggara if one has not returned homewith a bottle of Sumbawa honey.

"People should be made to want to visit West Nusa Tenggara to savorSumbawa`s distinctive honey, just like me who is also visiting West NusaTenggara to taste the icon of Indonesian honey," he said.

Zulkifli said, the launching of the National Honey Week was intended to promoteproduction of honey as a healthy food, as well as to make Sumbawa known as ahoney production center.

In addition, the week was also organized to strengthen the image of Sumbawahoney products and foster the national community`s pride in domestic products,as well as to encourage the creation of honey production centers in otherregions.

According to data compiled by the West Nusa Tenggara forestry office, theprovince`s honey production in 2010 reached 125 thousand tons. The main honeyproducer is the Sumbawa Forest Honey Network (JMHS). The 2010 production figuredoes not include honey extracted in Lombok island

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