Honey prices plummet, beekeepers suffer losses
Huy Thu - June 15, 2023 14:00
(Baonghean.vn) - This year, despite a good harvest, honey prices have plummeted. Each kilogram of honey sold can only buy one bottle of water, causing beekeepers in the province to suffer and lose money to keep their jobs.
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| The cool acacia forests along the Ho Chi Minh road through Thanh Chuong, Anh Son, Tan Ky, Nghia Dan districts... are suitable places for beekeeping. On average, each district has 50 - 70 honey bee farms. Each farm has 150 - 600 bee colonies. In the photo: A honey bee farm in Duc Son commune (Anh Son). Photo: Huy Thu |
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According to beekeepers, this year's honey season has been relatively favorable, with bee colonies producing a good amount of honey. It is currently the middle of the honey season, and beekeepers are actively harvesting honey during the hot days. In the photo: Harvesting honey in Nghia Binh commune, Nghia Dan district. Photo: Huy Thu |
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| Nowadays, almost all bee farms raise foreign bees (Italian bees) with the advantage of being adaptable to the environment, developing strongly, and producing high honey yield. On average, farms harvest honey every 7-10 days. Beehives with large numbers of workers, with all the bees full, can produce a honey harvest of about 100 kg of honey in a season. Photo: Huy Thu |
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| The honey harvest season lasts from March to September. During each honey harvest, beehives are selected, arranged, and supplemented to help the bee colonies develop better. Photo: Huy Thu |
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| According to beekeepers in Anh Son district, every year nomadic beekeepers often move around from the South to the North. Around February, from the South, the bees will be sent to the Northern provinces to take advantage of the longan and lychee flower season, and around April, they will be sent to Nghe An to collect acacia honey. The quality of acacia honey is not inferior, and is even considered to be better than many other types of honey. Photo: Huy Thu |
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For each honey extraction, bee farms mobilize additional manpower to move the beehive, extract the bins, and pack the honey... Currently, bee farms all use stainless steel bins to extract the honey to ensure hygiene. Each morning, a bee farm can extract several tons of honey. Photo: Huy Thu |
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| Mr. Vu Van Duy (41 years old), from Hai Duong province, is raising bees in Duc Son commune (Anh Son). He said: Currently, there are about 10 bee farms in Duc Son commune. His farm is raising 600 colonies, which have been built for many years. Each time honey is collected, the bee farm harvests 1.3 - 2.5 tons of honey. "This year, the harvest is good but the price is low, so beekeepers do not make a profit, even lose money" - Mr. Duy said. Photo: Huy Thu |
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| In the middle of honey season, all bee farms produce good quality honey, beautiful color, and mild sweetness. Light yellow honey is more valuable than dark honey. The darker the honey color, the more it depreciates. In early 2022, honey prices fluctuated between 20,000 and 21,000 VND/kg. At the same time last year, honey prices were around 16,000 and 17,000 VND/kg. Currently, honey prices purchased at bee farms in Nghe An range from only 9,000 to 10,000 VND/kg, even bad honey is only sold for 7,500 and 8,000 VND/kg. Photo: Huy Thu |
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| Mr. Phung Van Van (60 years old), a permanent resident of Nghia Hung commune, Chu Pa district (Gia Lai), is raising bees in Thanh Son commune (Thanh Chuong). He shared: I have been in the profession for decades. Currently, the input is high, the output is low, the price of honey has never been as low as today. Each kilogram of honey sold is only enough to buy 1 bottle of water, the output is there, but the income is not. The drop in honey prices has made beekeepers suffer, some farms have had to sell their bees, quit their jobs, some people are holding on, even investing capital to keep their jobs. In the photo: The bee farm is in a precarious terrain, carrying honey uphill is quite difficult. Photo: Huy Thu |
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| According to beekeepers, domestic honey prices have dropped sharply because they cannot be exported abroad, especially to the US market. Therefore, domestic honey companies have to import at low prices. Falling honey prices, high material costs, and high labor costs have severely affected beekeepers. A honey worker earns about 450,000 - 500,000 VND/day. Photo: Huy Thu |
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| Mr. Le Van Luan (26 years old) from Thanh Huong commune (Thanh Chuong) is purchasing honey for a honey company in Dak Lak. He said: His facility purchases honey from all districts in Nghe An. Each month, he buys about 120 tons of honey at the price of 9,000 - 10,000 VND/kg. The honey purchase price in Nghe An depends on the "parent company" in Dak Lak. The nomadic beekeeping profession is in a state of buying high and selling low, not being able to sell, a dilemma... Photo: Huy Thu |
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| Honey harvesting. Video: Huy Thu |
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