Anzer honey, produced on the Anzer Plateau in Rize's İkizdere district, a unique natural landscape filled with various endemic plant species, was deemed eligible for geographical indication in February 2021 following an application. Having received this geographical indication, Anzer honey is in high demand both domestically and internationally. Anzer producers, who milk their honey, have begun delivering it to cooperatives for analysis. Samples taken from the honey collected on the Anzer Plateau by the Hacettepe University Bee and Bee Products Application and Research Center have also delighted Anzer producers. Compared to reference hives, production has tripled this year, reaching an average of 6.5 kilograms per hive.
This year's price for Anzer Honey has also been announced. Last year, Anzer Honey sold for 4,000 TL, but this year it's now on sale for 6,000 TL.
Muzaffer Deniz, President of the Anzer Ballıköy Agricultural Development Cooperative, stated that Anzer had the best honey harvest in 50 years this year. He said, "The 2025-2026 Anzer Honey price per kilogram has been set at 6,000 TL. According to this price increase, the price of one kilogram of honey has been set at 6,000 TL, half a kilogram at 3,000 TL, and 250 grams at 1,500 TL. There was snowfall on the Anzer Plateau in June. Immediately after the snowfall, we, as producers, were very saddened, thinking the honey yield would drop significantly this year. However, due to our plateau's high altitude, fog and smoke followed immediately after the snowfall. Therefore, there was no ice or frost. With the absence of ice and the snowfall, Anzer Plateau experienced its most productive year in 50 years."
"An average of 6.5 kilograms of honey was produced per hive."
Recalling the reference hives milked by Prof. Dr. Aslı Özkırım, Director of Hacettepe University's Bee and Bee Products Application and Research Center, and her team on the Anzer Plateau, Deniz stated that, based on samples taken from these hives, they observed an average yield of 6.5 kilograms per hive. Deniz said, "Aslı Özkırım and her team from Hacettepe University came to the Anzer Plateau and took samples from some hives. Based on the average honey production from those hives, one hive produced 6.5 kilograms. In other words, one hive on the Anzer Plateau produced an average of 6.5 kilograms of honey this season. Therefore, we can call this year the most productive season in the last 50 years. Hopefully, we will be able to reach all our consumers and meet their demands for Anzer Honey this year. As the cooperative, we will strive to deliver authentic Anzer Honey to our producers, as we do every year."
Deniz stated that consumers should pay attention to the geographical indication logo
when purchasing Anzer Honey, saying, "The most important thing we should pay attention to with Anzer Honey is that it has a Geographical Indication, seal, label, and certification by the Ministry of Agriculture. Real Anzer Honey has the 'Geographical Indication Registration Logo' stamped by the Rize Provincial Directorate of Agriculture and Forestry. This logo is a must for real Anzer Honey. There's also an engraved part on the lid. When we engrave this part, we scan the serial number and the QR code on the lid, which opens a website where we can check whether our honey is authentic."
"It is exploited because it is more expensive than other honeys."
Deniz pointed out that Anzer Honey is expensive, and even the price is such that some malicious people imitate it and play with people's health. He said, "Unfortunately, some private and individual companies are using the Anzer label to sell fake honey as Anzer Honey. This situation deceives both our citizens and victimizes our consumers. Real Anzer Honey is analyzed at Hacettepe University and then has the Geographical Indication logo stamped on it. Anything other than this is definitely uncertified and is not genuine Anzer Honey. We ask our consumers to be especially careful about this. As a reminder, do not buy honey that does not have the Ministry of Agriculture's Geographical Indication Logo on it. Since Anzer Honey is priced higher than other honeys, it is also subject to frequent abuse. After all, even money can be counterfeited."
