Tenerife Water Board

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Published: 21 September 2015

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The Agricultural Extension Office was founded with the aim of assisting farmers to improve the management of their resources through Assistance, Technical Advice and Training programs. The first office was opened in Spain in 1953, and in 1990 competences were transferred to regional councils.

In response to the latest European agricultural policy guidelines, these objectives were broadened to include the promotion of socioeconomic development in rural areas.

The program is run by Agricultural Extension and Rural Development Offices>who after an annual analysis of the state of agriculture, design and implement year-long objective-based action plans with a view to achieving the overarching objectives of the program.

A variety of courses are organized as part of this annual action plan, with special emphasis on technology for the agricultural sector and rural communities in general.

Services offered

• Assistance to farmers, technical guidance and support in lodging and processing claims for aid.
• Improvements in agricultural production techniques, especially in terms of training programs for farmers, experimentation and dissemination of information.
• Improvement in plant protection, supported by the Insular Network of Alert Stations, as well as experimental plots and plague and disease monitoring systems.
• Improvement in irrigation and fertilization efficiency, based on data obtained from banana and tomato plantation alert stations.
• Promotion of environmentally-friendly farming practices, especially with respect to waste, use of agrochemicals, water and fertilizers, and integrated and organic production techniques.
• Promotion of socioeconomic development of the regions of Tenerife, supporting the creation of networks to consolidate this development.
• Fostering of sustainable development in rural areas.
• Favoring of the implementation of environment-friendly activities.
• Provision of guidance and support in establishing innovative and employment-generating business initiatives and the promotion of activity diversification.

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Published: 21 September 2015

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The unique characteristics of Tenerife honey can be attributed to both the climate and the orography of the areas where honey is collected and, of course, the care and dedication displayed by the island's beekeepers.

Thanks to the differences in climate between the humid north and the arid south of the island, coupled with the wide variety volcanic soils found on the island, Tenerife is home to an extensive variety of unique flowers on which the bees feed to produce the excellent original diverse and contrasting honeys of Tenerife.

Artisan beekeeing threatened

Beekeeping in Tenerife is still an artisan craft thanks to the mountainous nature of the island. Hives are usually small and difficult to access making honey collection, a substantial source of income for many beekeepers, an especially difficult occupation with its own unique characteristics.

The location of hives in hard to access areas coupled with the fact that the sector is ageing, problems related to selling honey through new channels, external competition and fraud means that the future of beekeeping in Tenerife is seriously threatened.

Research

Research into and the classification of Tenerife honey is the key to developing beekeeping practices which will increase productivity while maintaining high quality standards and preserving the natural properties of the honey. In keeping with this principle, the House of Honey uses the latest food technology to produce its honey so that no process affects the natural qualities of the product. Beekeeping on Tenerife has adapted to modern times without disregarding traditional uses in a firm commitment to maintain high standards and to protect the characteristics and personality of the environment in which they are made.

Contact details and information:

• Casa de la Miel
• Address: Calle San Simón, 51, Finca la Baranda, 38360, El Sauzal
• Locate on Google Maps
• Telephone: 922 562 711 / 922 573 321
• Fax: 922 561 806
• Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

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Published: 21 September 2015

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Quality

The Honey of Tenerife back label,consisting of an image depicting beekeeping in Mt Teide, is a guarantee that the honey has been produced on the island and retains the original characteristics and properties of the flowers and bees of Tenerife.

The label also serves to indicate that the product has passed strict sensory quality controls and analyses, where applicable, in accordance with prevailing legislation.

The House of Honey is responsible for ensuring products meet the requirements needed to bear the Honey of Tenerife Designation of Origin label. With laboratories and an expert honey-tasting committee, the House of Honey is able to guarantee the quality and organoleptic properties of each type of honey.

Health and wellbeing

Honey has been considered by humans as a healthy food with healing properties since ancient times. Much research has been conducted and there is a great deal of scientific evidence to suggest that the unique properties of honey, especially those found in fresh artisan honey such as Tenerife honey, are beneficial to our health.

The Rural Tenerife Foundation has developed a line of marketing aimed at the health sector. This strategy consists of selling Tenerife Honeys bearing the El Productor label in pharmacies associated with the Cofarte pharmaceutical cooperative, health food stores and diet shops.

A leaflet has been designed under the generic title "The Honeys of Tenerife: a source of health and wellbeing", to raise awareness of and disseminate information on the health benefits of Tenerife Honey. The brochure contains a brief explanation of the properties of honey as well as information on recent scientific developments, which generally are related to the fight against ageing.

Contact details and information:

Casa de la Miel
Address: Calle San Simón, 51, Finca la Baranda, 38360, El Sauzal
Locate on Google Maps
Telephone: 922 562 711 / 922 573 321
Fax: 922 561 806
Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Associated documents

• Tenerife Honey, Health and Wellbeing leaflet(PDF - 856 Kb )

Details

Written by admin

Published: 21 September 2015

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The House of Honey is a central service centre for beekeeping. The centre's main objective is to consolidate and develop the beekeeping sector by providing support to the island's beekeepers and guaranteeing the quality and origin of the honey produced, as well as disseminating information on and promoting honeys. It is responsible for ensuring that products bearing the Honey of Tenerife label meet quality standards.

By doing so it seeks to ensure the continuity of this century-old rural tradition as part of the ethnographic heritage of the island whilst at the same time play an important social role in conserving the island's immensely diverse plant species and agriculture.

The House of Honey was founded in 1966 by the Council of Tenerife.

Services offered

• Honey factory
  • Extraction
  • Bottling
  • Labeling
  • Preparation of crystallised honey
  • Verification of origin and quality
• Quality control
  • Physical and chemical analyses
  • Pollen analyses
  • Sensory analyses
• Beeswax
  • Extraction of beeswax
  • Laminating and moulding
• Activities
  • Studies and research
  • Bee health lab
  • Training for beekeepers and bee experts
  • Promotion of and support for marketing Tenerife honey

Visitors Centre

The House of Honey Visitors Centre was opened in response to an increased demand for information on Tenerife honey. The centre offers information on the origins of local honey and the tools used to guarantee quality. The centre plays an important role in continuing the Council of Tenerife's efforts in promoting local honey and ensuring it receives the recognition it deserves.

The entire hall seeks to serve as a small tribute not only to the island's very unique honey, a product that has a rich past and a promising future, but also to the island's beekeepers, whose knowledge and dedication have made honey production possible.

Contact details and information:

• The House of Honey and Visitors Centre
• Address: Calle San Simón, 51, Finca La Baranda, 38360, El Sauzal
• Locate on Google Maps
• Telephone: 922 562 711 / 922 573 321
• Fax: 922 561 806
• Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
• Website: www.casadelamiel.org/