Cooperation needed to save Hungarian apiaries

Nagy, István

Keywords: robinia honey, monofloral honeys, honey marketing, export, cooperation

Following the abandonment of the Socialist system of government, the system of small farmers (home farmers), which had functioned successfully in the preceding decades, was discontinued. No new arrangements for cooperation in production and marketing was introduced to take its place, however. Considering that honey export is an important section of foreign trade in agricultural products – Hungarian honey is a Hungaricum and is a significant exported article –, as well as the role of bee-keeping as a positive external effect on crop growing and horticulture, the position of apiaries would definitely need to be improved. Our inquiries concerning honey production and marketing – interviews, our own experience in apiculture, comparison of honey economics in Hungary ad in the Community – led to the conclusion that cooperation between the producers is the only way to promote their interests, to improve their technology, to grow economically and to improve product quality.

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