In the fairy tale of the writer Félix María Samaniego, “Two thousand flies flocked to the rich honeycomb, which died by being imprisoned by the legs because of their love of sweets …”. Spain, almost three centuries later, beekeepers are losing their hives as they experience one of the worst moments in history. It’s time to mobilize. They even prove that they are domestic production by washing them with honey in front of the institution buildings. Very high operating costs and massive imports from China, has little value. It is not profitable to produce under these conditions.
Pablo Sáez, a beekeeper, claims that “the industry is still in ruins” and “management has done nothing”. It ensures that the entire ecosystem is endangered by “high levels of environmental pollution”: 70% bees died from hivesJavier Molins, who burned between 150 and 200 beehives in the Bejís fire last summer, says the economic cost is around 40,000 euros and he has not received any help.
Industry-wide data is alarming. Honey harvest decreased by 50% across the country in 2022Among other things, because beekeepers focus a large part of their efforts not on producing honey, but on improving the hives. Pedro Loscertales, COAG’s head of beekeeping, explains that the situation has “deteriorated” in recent years. Spain Since 2018, losses have been accumulating in honey production.. According to the latest report by Mercasa, the publicly traded company that manages the wholesale markets, the Spanish market grew from 36,394 tons that year to 28,000 tons in 2022, “well below the average of the last five years”.
In their reports on beekeeping, the agricultural organizations AVA-Asaja, Asaja Alicante, APAC, Unió Llauradora, UPA-PV, CCPV-COAG and ApiAds reveal that the honey harvest has declined due to, among other factors, drought and increased varroa infestation (a disease attacking and feeding bees). external parasite mite). In addition, it has a full effect on the weakening of the hives that have been dragged in recent years, causing an important effort to improve them, not to produce honey. This decrease in harvest is important. increase in production costsThe increase in fuel and additional food prices seriously affects the sector.
If we look at the data, Spanish packaging industries import total 35,260 tons This amount is 3,633 tons already imported in the whole of 2021 and 3,009 tons more than in the whole of 2017 (a record year for imports so far in Spain).
Chinese competition
Most of the honey comes from China., which is the largest supplier of this product to the Spanish agri-food industry and accounts for about 90% of total imports. And at what price? If a kilogram of this product costs a Spanish beekeeper in 2022 about 3.7 euros (price at source), companies buy honey from Chinese operators for less than one and a half euros. No doubt it’s hard to compete at these prices.
Packers and distribution also replaced Spanish honey with honey from other sources such as Uruguay, Turkey and Ukraine. “While a very significant percentage of our honey is not yet sold, imports are not stopping at prices that no Spanish producer or producer can compete with, meaning that several sales and offers are made at prices well below the current cost of production,” explains Loscertales.
Despite everything, employment continues even though the future is uncertain. There were 35,300 beekeepers in Spain (REGA data, March 2021). This represents an increase of 4.3% over the previous year, and around 18% of these (who have more than 150 hives on their farm) are professionals.
I want help
To do? Professional beekeepers claim that you cannot survive without help. For this reason, Valencian organizations have requested agri-environmental funds to prevent them from having to go to other autonomous communities, where they greeted them with a “red carpet”.
Pascual del Valle, head of the beekeeping industry at AVA-Asaja, assures that “Valencian beekeepers have died after many devastating campaigns due to climatic adversities, lack of solutions to diseases and insufficient support from the Valencian government. While other autonomous communities support the industry with adequate assistance, the Generalitat is barely providing symbolic assistance.” .
It therefore calls for “an acceleration plan with urgent and strong support measures that guarantee the viability of beekeepers, as well as reciprocity with honey from third countries”. a label that clearly distinguishes the affinity product” .
Costs skyrocket as transhumance beekeeping takes hives wherever there is a certain condition for the availability of nectar or pollen for bees. And these transfers require more fuel and transportation costs.
On the other hand, they criticize that the regional viability plan for beekeeping has been forgotten for two years and demand an immediate solution to pinyolà; i.e. cross pollination caused by insects that cause an abundance of seeds in the fruit. Since 1993, a Valencian Community law prohibits the establishment of hives within 5 km of citrus crops in April and May.
Beyond Pinyolà, the survival of bees in the rest of the old continent is threatened. In fact, the European Commission (EC) introduced a series of restrictions on the use of pesticides used in agricultural crops on February 2, setting maximum limits to protect pollinators. If the bees die, pollination is impaired. 37% of remaining bees in Europe are at risk of extinction. Without them there would be no agriculture or biodiversity. 75% of the food we eat depends on them.