During 2007 at least 25% of the bee population has been lost due to bad weather. Hungary contributes 15% of the total honey production within the European Union (EU). The annual harvest is 20,000-25,000 tonnes and 75% is exported. Mr Péter Bross, President of the Hungarian National Association of Beekeepers, said that 2008 will surely not be a good year and recalled that in 2007, Argentina, one of the world’s largest honey producers, had the worst harvest for 100 years. He reassured consumers within the EU that they would not feel these losses either in an increase in the price of Hungarian honey, or with low quality or false honey appearing in the market.
Source: www.agroinformacion.com
Published in Bees for Development Journal 87, June 2008