Poland is one of the leading producers of honey in Europe. Nevertheless, honey consumption is significantly smaller than in the rest of the European Union. Annual honey production in Poland amounts to approximately 18,000 tons.
There are approximately 41,000 active beekeepers in Poland at the moment; the number of bee families is estimated to total about 1 million. Honey production in Poland reached almost 20,000 tons. Undoubtedly the systematically growing number of youngest beekeepers (below 35, about 10.7% of all beekeepers in Poland) and the increasingly higher quality of bee products are some of the most beneficial changes in the beekeeping industry that have taken place during the last years.
The results of quality controls of honey, performed by the Agricultural and Food Quality Inspection (IJHARS) in the period from 2004 to 2007, show that the honey offered on the Polish market is of very high quality.
Polish beekeepers take extreme care of the quality of their products. Polish honey is very popular with the consumers from Western Europe. It is not filtrated or processed physically, thereby contains microelements and pollens, and is characterised by an exceptional aroma. Polish products are many a time safer than the ones produced in the west.
Honey is still a product purchased very rarely in Poland and its consumption is low. Annually, Poles consume on average 400g of honey per capita; while in Germany, this figure amounts to 1400g
In recent years, honey production in Poland has gone up. Several factors have had influence on this situation. Relatively good conditions and increasing honey productivity of a hive are the two most important of them. It is not without significance that the structural changes imposed by various support mechanisms (the Rural Development Plan or the National Program for Support of Apiary) have positively affected the condition of the Polish beekeeping industry.
“From Various Internet Sites”
Comments are closed.