Beekeeping in Hungary

Beekeeping in Hungary (population 10 million people, territory 93 thousand sq. km) has been developing dynamically in recent years. The number of beekeepers is 22.4 thousand, the number of bee families is 1.2 million people. They produce 25-30 thousand tons of honey annually. From 60% to 80% of honey produced is exported. The density of bee colonies in Hungary in 2021 was 12.5 per km² and was one of the highest in Europe.

 

Features of beekeeping in Hungary

Large apiaries produce 30% of the total number of bee colonies in the country. 70% of beekeepers have nomadic apiaries.
The average productivity of bee colonies is 25 kg of commercial honey per year.
66% of honey is sold wholesale, 30% of honey is sold directly to consumers, 3-5% is sold to retailers, and 1% is used in the food industry.
The European Union has allocated 4.3 million euros to Hungary for the implementation of the state program for the development of beekeeping in 2021. An identical amount was allocated for these purposes by government agencies.

Honey in Hungary

Of the 25-30 thousand tons of honey produced annually, 10-15 thousand tons are white acacia honey, which is in high demand on the world market. 2/3 of the white acacia plantings available in Europe are concentrated in Hungary.
In recent years, Hungarian beekeeping has faced a number of problems. One of the largest is the flooding of the market with honey from Ukraine and China. According to the president of the Hungarian Association of Honey Traders and Packers, Gyuli Fazekas, after November 2021, Ukrainian honey “destroyed the prices of Hungarian honey,” especially acacia honey, which in 2022 was sold at 9.98 euros per kilogram, and in February 2023 at 7.06 euros per kilogram. This is a pan-European problem. For this reason, Hungary included honey in the list of 24 prohibited Ukrainian agricultural products. Transit will be allowed, but their movement within Hungarian territory will be monitored electronically and by patrols.

In addition to acacia honey, sunflower, rapeseed and herb honey are common in Hungary.

Export and import of honey in Hungary

Drought and other weather disturbances caused by climate change in 2021 and 2022 have led to a decline in honey production. Honey exports have also been falling since 2021.

Export of Hungarian honey:
                      2018  2019 2020 2021 2022
million dollars  90.6   85.0   96.0 97.1  83.3
Thousand tons 22.0   21.0  23.0 18.3  15.9
Source: ITC

In 2022, Hungarian honey was exported to 38 countries. Italy purchased the most from Hungary (thousand tons) – 6.7; Germany – 6.5; France – 1.8; Japan – 1.3 and Austria – 1.3. Until recently, Hungary did not import honey at all.

Import of honey through Hungary:
                     2018 2019 2020 2021    2022
million dollars   0      0       0     10.8    8.3
Thousand tons  0      0       0       3.3   2.5
Source: ITC

In 2022, Hungary imported honey from 18 countries. The largest suppliers at that time were (in tons): Ukraine - 1762 (70%); Spain – 282; Poland – 190; Turkiye – 141; Germany – 65. Since the country began importing molasses, China has not appeared in the ranking.

Professionals (having more than 150 bee colonies) make up 7% of the total number of Hungarian beekeepers, semi-professionals 63% and amateurs 30%. There is a tendency to increase the number of professional beekeepers. In the largest of the beekeeping farms, there are 6.5 thousand bee families. 65% of Hungarian beekeepers are nomadic, and 35% have stationary apiaries.

Honey harvest lasts from mid-April to mid-July - in April honey is collected from rapeseed, in May - from white acacia, in June - from linden and milkweed, in July - from sunflower. Pollination of crops in Hungary is not paid for. Beekeepers receive their main income from selling honey.

The Hungarian Beekeepers' Federation (FBF) has existed since 1879. There are 126 regional beekeeping associations and 11 thousand members. It is believed that FPV members produce 90% of commercial honey. FPV has 20 full-time beekeeping instructors in each of the regions (Madje), as well as 6 employees from the central office in Budapest. One of the functions of this association of beekeepers is the distribution and control of the use of subsidies for the development of beekeeping in the amount of 3 million euros per year.

Bees of Hungary

The indigenous breed of bees in Hungary is the Karnika. It is bred in 46 farms, the activities of which are strictly controlled.

What kind of hives are there in Hungary?

The most common type of hive is NB (Nagydoszonadi) with 24 frames measuring 42x36 cm. This type of hive has been widely used in Hungary since 1913 for honey collection from white acacia. Two other types of hive are also purely Hungarian: 1/2 NB for a frame 42×18 cm and Hunor for a frame 42×27cm. The ratio of these types of hives in beekeeping farms in Hungary is 50:25:25. All hives are equipped with secret chips with registration codes (RFID). This allows you to control their movement around the country and the “geographical origin” of honey.

Bee Day is celebrated in Hungary on May 1, and in December the Day of the Patron Saint of Beekeeping is celebrated. Ambrosia.