2024 honey harvest down 40% with 60% excess water in September, harvesting work gets tougher in France

"Unlike previous years marked by recurring droughts, it was the late frosts, periods of rain, cold and wind that seriously handicapped French beekeeping in 2024," notes Unaf in its estimate, based on feedback from its departmental unions. "The climate upheaval and its various facets, felt by beekeepers for a good fifteen years, is omnipresent," underlines the sector's organization, which in recent years has experienced uneven production. After a favorable start to 2024, the bad weather throughout the spring "did not allow bees to take advantage of the blooms to forage for nectar and pollen," forcing many beekeepers to provide food supplements to the colonies so that they do not starve, explains Unaf. Ultimately, at the end of June and beginning of July, a few fine days allowed for fairly decent harvests, "saving the season from a predicted disaster", particularly in the South and South-West. Concerning the type of honey, spring harvests such as rapeseed, as well as rosemary, thyme ...