Liquid gold: Wild honey earns millions for forest communities in Cambodia

A member of an indigenous community in Mondulkiri province climbs a tree. Armed with a smoker to keep the bees away from their hive, he is collecting wild honey. - PHOTO from WWF-Cambodia

PHNOM PENH (Phnom Penh Post/ANN): Local communities in two wildlife sanctuaries in Mondulkiri province’s vast forests are harvesting up to 150 tonnes of wild honey each year, potentially generating up to US$3.6 million per annum.

As the forests of Phnom Prich and Srepork Wildlife Sanctuaries cover 92,395 hectares, there are huge opportunities for wild honey production. Recent monitoring and inventory indicate that these forests may yield between 113 and 150 tonnes of wild honey annually, according to WWF-Cambodia.