Hessian beekeepers with a very good honey harvest in 2023
Hessian beekeepers have had a very good harvest this year. An average of 38.8 kilos of honey were harvested per bee colony across the state, according to the Germany-wide Bee and Beekeeping Center in Mayen, Rhineland-Palatinate, in response to a dpa query. This is based on 1111 harvest reports from beekeepers. This means that the harvest in Hesse has increased by 0.4 kilos compared to 2022 and is even 20 kilos higher than in the rainy year 2021. In the statistics kept since 2012, the state-wide annual value has only been higher twice before, in 2018 and 2015. Hesse is thus above the national average of 36.7 kilos of honey per colony.
According to a nationwide survey by the specialist center, 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," said Christoph Otten, head of the specialist center. For example, the price of winter feed for bees has roughly doubled within a year. Cheap imports from abroad were also a major concern for local beekeepers.
Despite the good honey harvest, some Hessian beekeepers might struggle with rising costs, particularly in animal feed such as winter feed for bees, which has nearly doubled in price within a year. With the increased production of honey, there's an opportunity for local farmers to explore diversifying their agriculture towards raising animals for food, ensuring a more sustainable and self-sufficient food system.
Source: www.dpa.com
