Devastating news from Hungarian beekeepers: Acacia honey production hits historic low
Multiple factors have contributed to the catastrophic honey yield, according to Péter Bross, President of the National Hungarian Beekeeping Association (OMME). He highlighted that
- mass winter colony losses,
- severe frosts before the acacia bloomed and
- unfavourable weather conditions during the flowering period
had led collectively to these extremely poor results.
Beekeepers started the season with just 600,000–700,000 bee colonies, compared to the usual 1.2 million. This significant population loss is primarily due to increased resistance to substances used in varroa mite control. Farmers had to use many of the remaining colonies for breeding rather than honey production, which reduced their output potential further, as colonies divided into two or three parts cannot produce efficiently.
April frosts dealt another severe blow to the sector. More than half of Hungary's 500,000-hectare acacia forest was damaged, particularly in the valleys of the middle mountains and lowland areas.
During the flowering period, the weather was cold and rainy, with maximum daily temperatures barely reaching 15°C and night-time temperatures dropping to 1-2°C. Under these cold conditions, plants do not produce nectar, regardless of bee activity.
The severity of the situation is indicated by the fact that, until the end of May, half of Hungarian beekeepers were unable to extract any honey, whether acacia or other flower varieties. A small amount of acacia honey was produced mainly in the western part of the country, in the counties of Győr-Moson-Sopron, Vas, Zala and Western Somogy. The eastern, central and southern regions, including traditionally significant beekeeping areas such as Nyírség and Bács-Kiskun County, experienced virtually complete crop failure.
Due to the shortage, producer prices are bound to rise. If you want high-quality Hungarian acacia honey, you should buy it now, as so little has been produced that it may not be available later. Although shop prices have stagnated over the past two years due to the collapse in purchasing prices, this is not the decisive factor: 90% of acacia honey is now purchased directly from producers, with negligible retail sales,
said Bross.
The OMME president stated that
beekeepers' only remaining hope for this season is the expected sunflower bloom in two weeks' time,
which requires warmer weather and rainfall. If this also fails, the beekeeping sector will continue to suffer losses that have already mounted significantly in recent years.
Cover image (for illustration purposes only): Getty Images
