Honey
Honey, macadamia & turmeric
Danu Nay-La is expanding into new and emerging markets, including honey, macadamia and turmeric. Some products, like macadamia, are grown by our coffee farmers as an extra income stream.
Forest & niger honey
Our honey is collected in the forest. It is pure with no risk of pesticides or chemicals. Our honeys are thick with a lovely, deep amber colour. Dark honeys are much higher in antioxidants resembling multi floral honey.
We produce 150–400 litres per year, depending on the season. During COVID-19, we stepped in to support these beekeepers who were unable to sell their honey.
Danu beekeepers have collected honey from high up in the mountain forests for generations. They have deep knowledge and understand the forest. They can identify healthy, productive bees and plants. The Danu have always enjoyed the benefits of eating honey, as well as selling it.
Farms in Shan State grow niger seeds as their second crop after harvesting upland rice. Niger is high in oil and makes a lovely, yellow honey with a delicate sweetness and aroma. The bees make natural hives in the trees surrounding the niger fields. Farmers encourage this for increased yield from bee fertilisation. In some cases, beekeepers harvest the honey.
During COVID, we bought niger honey, selling 100 litres in our factory. Honey has so many health benefits. Selling honey encourages our factory workers and their families to introduce it into their daily diets.
Honey is a new line for us and we hope to make it part of our domestic business. We hope to expand beekeeping into our coffee and tea fields for better fertilisation. This makes sense, as we are growing macadamia trees.
Alongside the importance of bringing back bees is to care for our natural heritage, our forests. We are focused on protecting our beautiful forests. They are our natural assets, passed down from generation to generation for our care.
We work with our farmers to value the forest, plant coffee, tea, macadamia nuts, and turmeric, and process our products in harmony with nature.
Honey products
Niger honey
Forest honey
Macadamia
Macadamia has been cultivated in Myanmar for over a decade, since 2011. We source macadamia nuts from Danu farmers in Oat Twin and Taung Kyar villages in southern Shan States.
This is an emerging part of our business, as over the last four years, small and large farmers have started planting macadamia. Currently, total production is 0.6 tons per village which is expected to rise in the next 2–5 years.
Macadamia offers farmers the opportunity to diversify their income, so our coffee and tea villages have started planting seedlings. It also is healthy for both villagers and our customers. It is the most nutritious of all nuts containing protein, fibre and healthy fats.
We shell the macadamia nuts at our factory as it is a difficult nut to crack open. We package the fresh macadamia kernels in plastic pouches of 100 grams. It is sold locally.
Turmeric
In 2018, we introduced 0.8 ha of turmeric which we harvest from May to September. We produce 1.5 tons of dried turmeric a year. We sell powdered turmeric in plastic pouches of 100–200 g in the domestic market.
Turmeric is excellent for antioxidants and anti-inflammatory properties. It is known to improve heart health, and even protect from Alzheimer and cancer.