The country’s honey production is half of the annual average this year, due to the climate and the drought, and beekeepers will not receive the de minimis aid this year, as other agricultural sectors are worse off, on Friday, said, for Agerpres, the president of the Bee Breeders Association of Romania, Ioan Fetea.
„This year is a strange one for beekeeping, with productions below 50% of the annual average, due to climate change. In the spring it was cold, there were rains, the acacia was calamitized to the extent of 60%, then came this cruel drought, the flowers withered. The sunflower, out of a million or so hectares, more than half was withered and could not be used. There were also geographical areas where some honey could be harvested, but not at the level of normal production, in the conditions in which the sunflower gives 40-45% of the average annual production. In addition, the honey consumption of Romanians is reduced. We no longer have a market for honey. We (Bee Breeders Association, ed. n.) have never had any export contract this year,” Fetea said.
The specialist attributed this phenomenon to the fact that Europe was left with stocks of honey from last year and, in addition, cheaper quantities of honey came from non-EU countries.
Asked if there is still counterfeit honey on the market, Fetea replied: „I am convinced that there is, because I also look at a jar of hypermarket honey, in which half is crystallized and says it is acacia, half is yellow or brownish, which does not even comply with the colour indicator for this variety of honey. But only the laboratory can provide certification, people cannot distinguish with the naked eye. Honey is a fairly counterfeit product worldwide and the methods are sophisticated.”
Fetea also said that Romanian beekeepers requested the de minimis aid from the state budget, but they will not receive it this year.
The 24th edition of the National Honey Fair takes place between September 16 and 18 on the Platform of the Research and Development Institute for Apiculture.
Agerpres