Honey demand overwhelms Slovak beekeepers

Honey consumption in Slovakia has increased to such an extent that Slovak bee-keepers aren't able to cover the demand for it, and Slovakia has to import honey from abroad, according to Slovak Beekeeper Association chairman Ludovit Gal. „Some 3,500-4,000 tonnes of honey is being imported to Slovakia from China, Argentina and Mexico per year. In 2004 we had a surplus of honey that lasted until 2010. We sought out possibilities to export honey so that bee-keepers could make money from it," he explained. At present there are 270,000 bee-hives, whereas there used to be some 400,000 in the past. According to Agriculture and Rural Development Minister Gabriela Matečna (a nominee of the Slovak National Party/SNS), the decrease in bee-keepers is partly caused by the arduous nature of this craft. "We used to have more varied fields; nowadays we mainly have monoculture fields that don't offer bees suitable forage," she said.