Havana, Cuba.- The central-southern Cuban province of Sancti Spiritus produced 360 tons of bee honey in the first semester of 2019, the highest volume in nearly three decades, a source from the sector said.

Nestor Lujan, director of the Sancti Spiritus Honey Basic Enterprise Unit, told Escambray newspaper that production exceeds the plan for the period by 87 tons.

This result is a sign of recovery, said Lujan, who noted that ‘significant volumes of bee honey in June and July had not been achieved’ since 1991.

He pointed out that in order to secure these results, it was essential to move some 5,000 of 14,000 beehives to the south coast to benefit from mangrove flowering.

According to the Commercial Director of the Cuban Honery Enterprise, Martha Casanova, the national collection plan at the end of the first semester of the year was fulfilled at 108 percent, surpassing the planned 2,267.7 tons in the plan to produce 2,470.4 tons.

Honey exports were fulfilled at 143.8 percent, as 2,522.2 tons were sold on the international market, from a plan of 1,754.5 tons, accounting for growth of 1,000 tons, she pointed out.

The annual plan is 6,700 tons, representing 17.94 million dollars.