In W21 in the honey landscape, Ukraine remains one of the top suppliers of honey to the EU, but China ranks first in volume terms in 2022. The EU imported 190.6K MT of honey worth USD 541.03M in 2022, an increase of approximately 10% YoY. While imports from Ukraine fell by 14%, imports from China rose by 42%, and imports from Argentina similarly rose by 35%. Poland and Germany remain the main buyers of Ukrainian honey among EU countries while the top five exporters of honey to the EU also include Argentina, Mexico and Turkey. Mexico ranks ninth in the world as a honey producer and fifth as an exporter, with 2M hives and more than 50K beekeepers. Since 2019, the Mexican Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (Sader) has implemented instruments for the conservation and sustainable use of pollinators such as bees, which contribute 10% of the genetic wealth, biodiversity, and ecosystems. In Turkey, USD 13.47M was obtained from the export of 4,142MT of honey in the first 4 months of 2023, with the US, Germany, and Israel being the top 3 countries with the highest export sales. In addition, the first export of honey produced in 2023 in the Eğriçayır Plateau, Erdemli district of Mersin, was sent to Qatar. Mersin Beekeepers set their annual export goal at USD 2.50M. Furthermore, the Turkish Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry distributed sugar to beekeepers adversely impacted by the earthquake on February 6.
In rural parts of Uttarakhand, India with an abundance of honey sources, FMC India and GB Pant University of Agriculture & Technology (GBPUAT) ran a workshop to encourage women farmers to produce honey, generate sustainable income, support biodiversity, and increase agricultural yield. Egypt exported packaged honey and beehives worth over USD 300M in the current year. Beehives and honey exports from Egypt were around the same value in 2022, an increase of about USD 50M over the previous year, whereas packaged honey rose by 300MT to 3,400MT in 2022. Meanwhile, parcel exports declined slightly in 2022 to 1.2M cells compared to 1.25M in 2021. Egyptian honey exports are concentrated in the Gulf states, Jordan, Lebanon, Libya and Algeria, with the opening of European markets currently being discussed. The Egyptian beekeeping industry is facing many challenges in 2023, most notably the high operating costs, wages and production inputs for the owners of companies and apiaries. Lastly, in Minas Gerais, Brazil, exports of bee products reached USD 20.5M in 2022, an increase of 25% YoY, with the average price for 2022 being 28.8% YoY higher than in 2021.