Training of Veterinary Inspectors in the Sampling of Honey

The purpose of the Fostering Agricultural Markets Activity (FARMA) is to provide technical assistance in Bosnia Herzegovina (BiH) subsectors of agriculture markets through demand driven assistance aimed at improved competitiveness of BiH agricultural products. FARMA is to expand environmentally sustainable production, processing and sales of value-added agricultural products. The expected result of FARMA is economic growth and contribution to poverty reduction.

Beekeeping has a long tradition in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Traditionally, beekeeping was mainly confined to small beekeepers who produced honey for personal consumption. However, the industry is growing (production is approximately 3,340 tons) and there are a number of commercial beekeepers in BiH, some of whom have several hundred and up to a thousand bee hives. The total number of beehives is estimated to be 367,000 (2012).

The BiH State Veterinary Office has already adopted regulations on the monitoring of residues of selected substances in live animals and products of animal origin (BiH Official Gazette no. 1/04, 40/09 and 44/11), regulation on maximum residue levels of pharmacologically active substances in products of animal origin (BiH Official Gazette, no. 61/11), and regulation on the implementation of analytical methods and interpretation of results (BiH Official Gazette, no. 95/19) in accordance of the relevant EU Directives. The residue monitoring program has defined the number of samples that have to be collected and analysed according to internationally accepted methods. Samples have not be collected adequately up to now, hence it is important to train veterinary inspectors in proper sampling of honey.

The full and proper implementation of the residue monitoring program is essential to permit BiH to export honey to the EU.