Ulaanbaatar
World Bee Day Observed
Society
Ulaanbaatar, May 20, 2025 /MONTSAME/. The United Nations General Assembly designated May 20 of every year as World Bee Day in December 2017, following a proposal by the Slovenian Beekeepers’ Association and with the support of the Government of Slovenia.
Since 2018, World Bee Day has been commemorated each year to promote the protection of pollinators and raise awareness among policymakers and the general public.
World Bee Day is marked in approximately 70 countries worldwide. On this day, awareness-raising activities are organized to highlight the significance of pollinators, the threats they face, their contribution to sustainable development, and the value of bees and bee products. The day also serves to promote the protection of endangered bee species. World Bee Day coincides with the birthday of Anton Janša, a Slovenian pioneer of modern beekeeping who conducted extensive research into bee breeding.
In Mongolia, the foundations of modern apiculture were established in 1959 when B. Jamts introduced 20 bee colonies from the Republic of Buryatia of the Russian Federation to Shaamar soum of Selenge aimag. Since then, beekeeping has expanded to the forest steppe regions of Selenge, Tuv, Khentii, Dornod, Arkhangai, Bulgan, Zavkhan, Uvs, and Khovd aimags. According to current practice, a single bee colony in Mongolia yields an average of 7-14 kilograms of honey annually. Researchers have concluded that the country has strong potential to develop apiculture into a high-yield sector, due to its abundant nectar-bearing plant resources. It is estimated that Mongolia has the capacity to raise 5 to 7 million bee colonies, supported by over 230 species of sweet, juicy, and pollen-rich flora from 43 botanical families in the forest steppe zone.
As of the latest statistics, 26 enterprises are engaged in apiculture nationwide, managing a total of 1,731 bee colonies. In addition, 615 households are involved in beekeeping with a combined total of 13,703 colonies. These producers generate approximately 400 tons of honey annually.
