ZAMBIA is one of the countries in the region which is able to trade its honey on the basis of it being organic in nature.

However, despite its organic status, the honey is unable to access the European market go gain the country the benefits attracted by honey products from a developing country.

This is due to outlying factors, which honey producers should overcome to increase the honey exports from the current levels of over 500 tonnes annually.

Honey composition is an important determinant of the quality to be exported to the European Union (EU).

It is obligatory to carry out laboratory tests for all the honey being exported to ensure that there is compliance with the quality standards required by the EU regulations.

The given guidelines demand honey composition criteria moisture content of not more than 21per cent, apparent sugar content of not more than five per cent, water soluble solid content not of more than 0.1 per cent, mineral ash not exceeding 0.6 per cent and diastase activity of honey with low natural enzyme content and Hydro Methyl Furfural (HMF) content of not more than 15 mg/Kg.

Quality goes further to encompass ISO Certification provides a harmonised set of generic quality assurances, standards applicable to any organisation regardless of size, activity or status.

Honey consumers are becoming increasingly quality conscious and demand that these standards are met as a minimum requirement.

The certification can be done through organisations affiliated to the European Union such as Ecocert International and British Soil Association.

Honey colour is an important aspect in the setting of the value for marketing of honey and determination of its use.

Normally, darker coloured honeys often have a strong taste and used for industrial application.

The lighter colours, which have a less strong taste, are used for direct consumption. Colour as a single important aspect determines the import and export prices.

Normally, the honey colour is given in millimetres on a fund scale that is used in international trade for colour reading.

The honey exported to the EU is normally shipped in steel drums of 205 or 210 litres and weigh about 300 kilogrammes of honey.

The steel drums must be food quality drums that are coated with food safe paint, clean and free of residual waste and odours of other products and moisture proof.

The honey imported in the EU is expected to meet certain standards of marking. The minimal information required on the steel drums are the contact details of the seller (importer) in the importing country, contact details of the producer, type of honey, gross and net weight, drum number, lot number, name of organic certifying organisation and country of origin.

Exporting countries use Eco-labels to indicate that the honey produced has a reduced impact on the environment. Eco-labels are not compulsory, as the market share for them remains relatively low.

In light of the foregoing, most honey producers lack the finance to put up infrastructure that ensures that honey is produced in an organised manner.

Production of honey to meet the required parameters requires tracing the honey production from the time when the beehives are set to the time of harvesting and processing.

This allows for curative measures to be taken along the way than waiting up to the end.

ISO certification is an important aspect when it comes to exporting well-established importers in the European Market. Once a product is certified and accepted in one place by accredited certifying bodies, it would be the accepted standards elsewhere.

Certification also marks the beginning of good management of the organisation as it plans ahead.

There is need to embark on an expansion programme for tree varieties that are used in honey production as well as planting other varieties of trees to ease pressure on trees used by bees for honey production.

This increases the production of different types of honey such as monoflora, which sell for higher prices as they are consumed directly. Currently, most of Zambian honey used is industrial honey in food preparation after the rediscovery of honey valuable food ingredients.

The Zambian exporters require a form of training to be able to understand the importance of labeling and marking as an important tool when selling to the European Union.

Once all the markings are correct, it creates confidence as the importer realises that he is dealing with the right supplier.