Beekeepers in Cyprus are struggling to compete with Chinese honey imports priced at €1.39 per kilo to the EU, whilst local honey retails at around €10 per kilo, according to Lysandros Lysandrides, a senior agricultural officer.
The price gap represents the sector’s biggest problem, even as weather conditions have cut honey production by up to 30%, Lysandrides said. Despite rising production costs, Cypriot beekeepers have not raised their prices accordingly, calling the profession’s viability into question.
In years with adverse weather, average honey output per hive falls by at least 30%. Cyprus bee losses have not reached the levels seen in Bulgaria, which has lost up to 90% of its colonies, or the United States, where losses are expected around 70%. However, Cypriot beekeepers’ experience with hot, dry conditions and their costly efforts to replace losses keep the sector viable.
High temperatures, prolonged drought, fires and urbanisation dramatically reduce wild vegetation, limiting available pollen and nectar. Changes in bees’ biological cycles weaken their immune systems and make them more vulnerable to pathogens and predators such as wasps and bee-eaters, whose activity has increased in recent years.
Bees pollinate 75% of the planet’s plants and 80-90% of fruit and arable crop production, making their presence critical, particularly in countries like Cyprus that are severely affected by climate change, Lysandrides said.
The state is implementing support measures including the Beekeeping Programme, Strategic Plan 2023-2027 actions for biodiversity and organic beekeeping, and subsidies for hive relocation costs.
Despite the difficulties, Cyprus’s 45% self-sufficiency in honey and the high proportion of beekeepers under 40 provide grounds for cautious optimism. Highlighting the quality superiority of Cypriot honey and informing consumers about adulteration in much of the imported honey are critical factors for the sector’s sustainability, Lysandrides said.
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