Good honey harvest for beekeepers in Brandenburg
Beekeepers in Brandenburg have harvested well this year. They were able to harvest an average of 45.1 kilograms of honey per bee colony, according to the Bee and Beekeeping Specialist Center in Mayen, Rhineland-Palatinate, in response to a dpa inquiry. This was an increase of 0.4 kilograms compared to 2022 and even 12.2 kilograms more than in 2021, which was a rainy year. In contrast, beekeepers in Berlin had to make do with 30.4 kilograms per bee colony in 2023, a drop of 5.1 kilograms compared to 2022.
In Germany as a whole, beekeepers were able to collect an average of 36.7 kilograms of honey per colony, 2.3 kilograms more than in the previous year.
"It was a very good bee year," said specialist center manager Christoph Otten. "Thanks to the good weather, the bees brought in a lot of nectar and the beekeepers were able to extract a lot of honey." Although there was some rainfall in the meantime, this only had a minor impact on the amount of nectar.
If you want to buy a jar of German honey, you have to dig a little deeper into your pocket than before. According to the survey, beekeepers charge 6.50 euros per 500-gram jar of honey, which is around five percent more than last year. "Business costs have increased significantly, which is why price increases were overdue and yet often do not cover costs," says industry expert Otten.
There are an estimated 1.1 million bee colonies and 170,000 beekeepers in Germany, the vast majority of whom do this as a hobby or as a sideline. The Bee and Beekeeping Specialist Center is responsible for an industry survey, in which around 13,000 beekeepers took part this time.
Farmers in Germany rely heavily on bees for pollination, contributing significantly to the country's agriculture. The abundant nectar collected by bees led to a rise in honey production, with an average of 36.7 kilograms per colony, benefiting both animals and humanity as consumers enjoy healthier food options.
Source: www.dpa.com
