North Rhine-Westphalia Beekeepers harvested large quantities of honey this year. The specialist bee and beekeeping center in Mayen announced that 45.5 kilograms were collected per colony, 17.2 kilograms more than in the previous rainy season. This value is based on two surveys on early and summer production, that is, on two harvests in a year. This year, beekeepers across the state took part with a total of nearly 2,000 requests to speak.
The reason for the high harvest this year is that the weather is sunny and at the same time humid enough so that the plants can grow and flower well, which means the bees find a lot of nectar. “Due to the weather, there are ideal bee collection conditions in many areas,” said head of the specialist centre, Christoph Otten.
Prices have increased slightly
According to information, the price of a 500 gram bottle of flower honey in Germany rose by around three percent to around 6.60 euros. “Given the high costs, this amount is a moderate increase,” said the head of the specialist center, Christoph Otten. Beekeepers must cover costs such as glasses, mite treatment, fuel and feed; Bees are given a type of sugar water that they eat as a substitute for honey. Honey prices vary widely; prices are higher in large cities and metropolitan areas than in rural areas. On the other hand, varietal honey is more expensive than flower honey.
In North Rhine-Westphalia, 19,400 beekeepers manage around 163,800 bee colonies, as announced by the NRW Chamber of Agriculture. Most beekeepers keep between six and ten bee colonies.
It is estimated that there are 1.2 million honey bee colonies in Germany. According to the German Beekeepers Association, their production accounts for only about half of honey consumption in the Federal Republic; the rest is imported from EU countries such as Romania and from other countries such as Argentina and China. Every year, a German citizen consumes about a kilo of honey, either as a spread on bread or as an ingredient in salad dressings and other dishes.
Most beekeepers do this in their spare time, but there are only a few professional beekeepers. German honey is sold mainly at weekly markets, on doorsteps or at work – a recreational beekeeper brings his honey to the office and sells it to colleagues.
© dpa-infocom, dpa:251122-930-325322/1
