Jordan's beekeepers busy as honey demand soars

Hammad, a beekeeper and retired employee of the security department, checks on bee hives at an apiary in Irbid in northern Jordan. Photos: Khalil Mazraawi/AFP

Jordan's key tourism industry may have been hammered by Covid, but the pandemic gave a boost to another sector, keeping its beekeepers busy as demand for honey has soared.

The country's 4,000 apiarists have ramped up output of the sweet and sticky golden substance long praised for its anti-inflammatory and other health benefits.