The product label does not reflect this, but Chinese honey flocked to the market and ruin the beekeepers. Dozens of these farmers gathered at the gates of the Andalusian Parliament this Wednesday and warned that the industry is dying. Protests were repeated throughout Spain. Climate change, drought and the end heat wave As heroes in Andalusia cut production in half. This is compounded by higher costs that have increased due to the increase in production. sugar and fuel prices. As a result, honey goes through very sensitive hours.
The head of the beekeeping industry participated as a spokesperson in the protest in Seville, organized by the agricultural organization COAG. Antonio Vazquez. Accounts are open. From January to November this year, Spain imported 7,500 tons of honey directly from China.. “This is seven million-pound tins,” Vázquez warns. The challenge is to find a single bottle of Chinese origin on the supermarket shelves. “Where is this sweetie? Why doesn’t she show up anywhere?” says the beekeeper. The complaint is that labeling laws are violated and for product traceability. Labels do not reflect the actual origin or quality of the product. “Not even low-quality honey, but in most cases some kind of honey. syrup, sweet rice syrup”, warns the COAG spokesperson. This is added to honey that, after leaving China, passes through other countries and is already mixed and packaged as a product of Portugal, Romania or Belgium, or from any European country. Total, Spain imported 35,260 tons last year.
“It’s impossible to compete because that ‘pseudomiel’ is sold for 1.50 euros a kilo, and the production cost of quality Spanish honey produced by us beekeepers is 3.20 euros. Of course, it is much more profitable for large distributors to buy Chinese honey,” says Vázquez. The advice is to look closely at the label and be skeptical if it doesn’t clearly state that this is Spanish honey. Finding quality honey is now much easier. small shops or marketsinside ecological stores, in department stores, much more than linear stores, warns COAG, don’t tell where these boxes come from or what they actually contain. Currently, 70% to 80% of the honey produced in Spain remains in warehouses and is not sold on the market. “We can’t compete,” the beekeeper admits.
Beekeepers warn of drought. Without rain, there will be no flowers, no plants, and bees cannot pollinate. Andalusia is Spain’s largest honey producer, with around 5,500 beekeepers and 629,000 hives accounting for 20% of the national census.
In this case, they initiate an SOS: “We need help.” They claim they can benefit from 20 cents per liter of gasoline and direct government subsidies. 10 euros per hive. They point to a “fully affordable” amount in the Ministry of Agriculture’s budget. Agricultural diesel gasoline aid has been extended, but has been excluded because it moves with ‘off-road’ vehicles, not tractors. In their daily work, they travel miles to transport hives, to the mountains, to feed the bees… “Our hives are not near towns or cities, but in the mountains, sometimes more than 200 kilometers away,” they warn COAG.
Another rapidly rising cost is sugar.. What is this for? “Look, this year, for example, in Malaga, where my beehives are located, it hasn’t rained at all from April to December. There were no flowers. Bees do not have nectar and they have to feed. The bait is, so to speak, pastes made of sugar, and the cost has doubled,” warns this beekeeper. Insecticides and pesticides in the field affect flora and fauna, biodiversity, crops are getting less and less yielding and pollination by bees is more difficult. A perfect storm where a traditional industry that needs help is dying.
Source: Informacion
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