EAST KAZAKHSTAN – The beekeeping centre of East Kazakhstan’s Institute of Agriculture launched an automated assembly line for printing and packaging honey from honeycombs.
Head of the Apiculture Department at the Research Institute Alex Kasymbaev demonstrated the potential of the new line, which was paid for by funds from the regional budget. Finished units purchased in Poland, China and Kazakhstan were assembled in the beekeeping centre. Human participation in the process is kept to a minimum.
The line includes a honey extractor and cloth cleaner, where triple purification takes place. Then the pumping unit pumps pure honey into a large vat. At the final stage of production, small portions are measured into stick-packs. The kit also includes a machine that whips large crystals, which allows ingredients like propolis, berries and nuts to be added to the honey
Honey from the Altai Mountains is in great demand among buyers. A regional programme that distributes free lunchtime sweets in East Kazakhstan schools has long provided a convenient blister pack of 10-20 grammes of honey to students, an amount determined to maintain and strengthen students’ immune systems.
Another unit at the beekeeping centre seals a 10 percent honey drink in plastic cups, to appeal to those who prefer to drink their sweets. According to Kasymbaev, such packaging will eventually be indispensable not only in school cafeterias, but also on airplanes and trains.
The launch of the automated line for the production of packaged honey is only a part of a major project to build and equip the national scientific-production centre of beekeeping. Scientists and beekeepers are working in close collaboration on this project, which will develop over 2013-2020.
