2023-12-16 09:00:02
Chis year, the bees fought hard to fill the apiaries. The mild winter pushed them to start their activity early. But would the drought limit the coveted floral resource? In the south of France, scrubland and rosemary honeydews or thyme smelled a little like fir. Fortunately, from mid-May, the rain gave new vigor to the flowers, to the delight of collectors of mountain, linden, bramble, buckwheat and heather honey.
The foragers therefore reaped a beautiful golden booty. Ray of sunshine for honey… According to estimates from the National Union of French Apiculture (UNAF), French honey production would amount to around 20,000 tonnes, a level higher than that of 2022, estimated at 14 000 tonnes, and above all well beyond the meager 10,000 tonnes collected in 2021, a dark year.
“With climate change, honey production becomes very variable from one year to the next, but also from one region to another. The most productive, such as Provence-Alpes-Côte-d’Azur, Occitanie and Rhône-Alpes, are the most affected by weather hazards”, underlines Henri Clément, spokesperson for the UNAF, who encourages young beekeepers not to put all their hives in the same meadow. He himself spread his bees in Lozère, Hérault and Aude.
Create a reference laboratory in Europe
If he judges the 2023 harvest « correct », Mr. Clément has another reason for satisfaction. Indeed, European deputies revised the “honey directive” on Tuesday, December 12, and voted for a text which requires the countries of origin of the precious nectar to be indicated on the label in descending order according to their proportion in the jar, with indication of a percentage range. A system in force in France since 2022, obtained through a tough struggle in the face of opposition from the Michaud company, which packages imported and mixed honeys sold under the Lune de Miel brand.
MEPs also want to improve the traceability of honey and create a reference laboratory in Europe to detect falsifications. A European Commission investigation published in March showed that, out of 320 samples of imported honey checked, almost half deviated from Union rules, in particular by the addition of sugar syrups intended to reduce the cost price.
The issue is vital for French beekeepers. « Imported honey is bought by packers for 2.50 euros per kilo, compared to 6 to 8 euros for French honey.specifies Mr. Clément. “French traders prefer to turn massively to imported honey, at an unbeatable price », denounces the Peasant Confederation, which organized a mobilization to defend French beekeepers whose honey no longer flows. She does not fail to castigate the « scandalous margins of traders and distributors », to the detriment of consumers. Imported honey is a good “bzzness”…
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