Search

The paper analyzed the number of beehives and honey production at the global level and in the European Union as well as the main problems honey bees are facing nowadays and how they could be solved. The statistical data for the period 2000-2022 provided by FAOStat, Knoema, Eurostat and other official data bases have been processed using fixed basis and structural indices, trend regression equations (linear and polynomial), R square, descriptive statistics, regression analysis, correlation coefficient, comparison method. Compared to 58.8 million beehives in the world in the year 2000, in 2022 their number reached 102 million (+76.3%). The share of beehives by continent is: Asia 44.6%, Europe 24.7%, Africa 17.7%, Americas 11.4% and Oceania 1.4%. The highest number of bee hives is in India, China Mainland, Turkey, Iran (Islamic Rep.), Ethiopia, Russian Federation, Argentina, Tanzania (U. Rep.), USA and Mexico. In 2022, the EU had 20.27 million beehives, meaning +19.44% versus 2016. The largest number of bee hives in the EU is in Spain, Romania, Greece, Poland, Italy, France, Hungary, Germany, Bulgaria and Czechia. From 1.25 million tons in the year 2000, the global honey production reached 1.83 million tons in 2022 (+45.8%). The regression equation: y = 0.0148 x + 0.4064 shows that an increase by one million beehives will determine a growth by 0.0148 million tons of honey at the global level. From the peak of 22.5 kg honey per bee hives in the year 2005, in 2022, it was registered 17.9 kg at the global level. Honey production by continent in 2022 was: Asia 48.2%, Europe 22.8%, Americas 18.5%, Africa 8.5% and Oceania 2%. In 2022, the top 10 honey producing countries at the global level were: China, EU-27, Turkey, Iran (Islamic Rep.), India, Argentina, Russian Federation, Mexico, Ukraine and Brazil, all together representing 73.6% of the world honey production. In 2014, the EU produced 235 thousand tons honey and in 2022 it achieved 286 thousand tons (+21.7%). The top honey producing countries are Germany, France, Romania, Spain, Hungary, Italy, Poland, Greece, Bulgaria and Portugal. A bee hives produces 21 kg honey in average, but there are EU countries with higher yields: Finland, Germany, Belgium, Denmark, Estonia, Austria, Italy, Lithuania, Latvia and France. To solve the crisis of biodiversity, pollution and climate change, specific recommendations are destined to improve the ratio between the managed honey bees and wild bees so that the wild bees to have access to flowering sources, to benefit of a suitable habitat to live and reproduce and biodiversity not to suffer. Special measures have to be taken in the cities so that the balance between honey and wild bees to be preserved and the residents and tourists not to be affected. Severe cleaning and hygiene in the apiary, avoiding bees imports, making treatments based on organic medicines could avoid diseases and pests. Farmers have to avoid the use of Neonicotinoids pesticides to help apiculturists not to have bees losses. Beekeeping technology must be adapted to the local conditions and weather alerts, assuring flowering sources, bees reproduction and food storage, as the bee families to pass easier over the winter. An intensified consultancy service, investments in new technologies, a balanced transhumance, more effective marketing actions could increase honey production and quality and stimulate consumption in the EU. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Honey bees are crucial for ecosystem pollination and honey production, yet the Varroa destructor mite hinders their productivity and health. Efforts to manage Varroa mites with synthetic pesticides have had limited success, highlighting the need for naturally derived acaricides as a primary option. However, the acaricidal efficacy of essential oils from Salvia officinalis L. (sage), Cannabis sativa (hemp), and Laurus nobilis (laurel) remains to be fully understood. This study aims to investigate the acaricidal efficacy of these three essential oils at varying concentrations and their impact on honey production, focusing on the efficient reduction in Varroa mites. The sugar roll method was employed to assess Varroa mite infestation levels, while GC-MS analysis was utilized to verify the composition of the essential oils. Honey production measurements were also performed. The efficacy rates (%) at concentrations of 15%, 10%, and 5% for hemp oil were 95.4% ± 0.30%, 85.71% ± 0.85%, and 64.48% ± 0.26%, respectively; for sage oil, they were 81.08% ± 0.57%, 69.42% ± 1.72%, and 50.35% ± 0.70%; and for laurel oil, they were 68.96% ± 0.34%, 54.66% ± 0.37%, and 33.58% ± 0.30%, respectively. Key compounds identified include trans-caryophyllene, α-pinene, and viridiflorol in hemp oil; myrcene, limonene, and β-caryophyllene in sage oil; and phytol, β-myrcene, and n-heneicosane in laurel oil. The overall findings indicate that hemp oil is highly effective in controlling Varroa mites. However, further research is needed to evaluate its potential side effects on bees to ensure its sustainability and safety. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper presents the main trends of the Romanian honey market, in the period 2018-2022. In order to better highlight the evolution of this market, it was necessary to analyze specific indicators such as: total production of honey and the number of bee families both nationally and regionally; the price for honey at national level; consumption of honey per capita - average annual; quantitative exports and imports of honey from Romania. Complementary to the economic part, due to the fact that the honey bees are not only honey producers, but also vital natural pollinators, the paper also mentions and analyzes aspects related to the ethics of the beekeeping environment in Romania and EU, especially the use of neonicotinoids, in the context of global transformations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Honey is produced exclusively by honeybees and stingless bees which both are well adapted to tropical and subtropical regions such as Malaysia. Stingless bees are known for producing small amounts of honey and are known for having a unique flavor profile. Problem identified that many stingless bees collapsed due to weather, temperature and environment. It is critical to understand the relationship between the production of stingless bee honey and environmental conditions to improve honey production. Thus, this paper presents a review on stingless bee's honey production and prediction modeling. About 54 previous research has been analyzed and compared in identifying the research gaps. A framework on modeling the prediction of stingless bee honey is derived. The result presents the comparison and analysis on the internet of things (IoT) monitoring systems, honey production estimation, convolution neural networks (CNNs), and automatic identification methods on bee species. It is identified based on image detection method the top best three efficiency presents CNN is at 98.67%, densely connected convolutional networks with YOLO v3 is 97.7%, and DenseNet201 convolutional networks 99.81%. This study is significant to assist the researcher in developing a model for predicting stingless honey produced by bee's output, which is important for a stable economy and food security. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Indonesian beekeeping industry, grappling with diverse bee species, focuses on the sustainability of operations, particularly with the introduction of Apis mellifera during the early stages of the pandemic. This study explores post-pandemic Apis mellifera honey production in Indonesia, analyzing its impact on prices and business sustainability. Surveys and interviews were conducted with beekeepers in Java and Sumatra, primary islands with significant A. mellifera activities, along with data collection from other regions from January 2022 to October/November 2023. Monthly observations centered on honey production and prices for industrial purposes. The study uncovered two beekeeping systems: migratory in Java and stationery in Sumatra. Carpa honey from Accacia crassicarpa plantation emerged as a suitable industrial honey, displaying sustainable production, seasonality, and a large carpa area as bee forages, contributing to colony growth. Conversely, four Java honey types showed lower productivity, indicating a potential absence of honey seasons. Carpa honey prices ranged from IDR 25,200 to IDR 31,000 per kg, influenced by market size, production, competition, productivity, costs, and producer-consumer interactions. Despite a pandemic- induced surge in the honey market, sustaining high productivity and increasing colony numbers are crucial for long-term honey production sustainability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Western honey bee Apis mellifera is a managed species that provides diverse hive products and contributing to wild plant pollination, as well as being a critical component of crop pollination systems worldwide. High mortality rates have been reported in different continents attributed to different factors, including pesticides, pests, diseases, and lack of floral resources. Furthermore, climate change has been identified as a potential driver negatively impacting pollinators, but it is still unclear how it could affect honey bee populations. In this context, we carried out a systematic review to synthesize the effects of climate change on honey bees and beekeeping activities. A total of 90 articles were identified, providing insight into potential impacts (negative, neutral, and positive) on honey bees and beekeeping. Interest in climate change's impact on honey bees has increased in the last decade, with studies mainly focusing on honey bee individuals, using empirical and experimental approaches, and performed at short‐spatial (<10 km) and temporal (<5 years) scales. Moreover, environmental analyses were mainly based on short‐term data (weather) and concentrated on only a few countries. Environmental variables such as temperature, precipitation, and wind were widely studied and had generalized negative effects on different biological and ecological aspects of honey bees. Food reserves, plant‐pollinator networks, mortality, gene expression, and metabolism were negatively impacted. Knowledge gaps included a lack of studies at the apiary and beekeeper level, a limited number of predictive and perception studies, poor representation of large‐spatial and mid‐term scales, a lack of climate analysis, and a poor understanding of the potential impacts of pests and diseases. Finally, climate change's impacts on global beekeeping are still an emergent issue. This is mainly due to their diverse effects on honey bees and the potential necessity of implementing adaptation measures to sustain this activity under complex environmental scenarios. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pakistan is an important country located in South Asia and ranks as the world’s sixth most populous country. It has diverse landscapes with its own specific vegetation. The country-specific vegetative diversity has a great ecological and economic impact on the conservation of local fauna. It has huge potential for the sustainable beekeeping industry if properly exploited. Beekeeping in Pakistan is mainly focused in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, central and northern regions of Punjab provinces but nowadays it is growing rapidly across the country. Three native species of honey bees including Apis dorsata, A. florea, and A. cerana whereas one exotic species A. mellifera are present in Pakistan. Honey produced in Pakistan enjoys good repute in the Middle East due to its unique taste and quality. Pakistan exports around 4,000 tons of honey with a worth of about $ 23.00 million to Arab countries every year. It is believed that the Pakistani beekeeping industry is entering an era full of opportunities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The growing beekeeping industry in South Korea has led to the establishment of new honey plant complexes. However, studies on honey production from each species are limited. This study aimed to assess the honey production potential of various Brassica napus cultivars and two wildflower species. The nectar characteristics of B. napus varied significantly among the cultivars. Absolute sugar concentrations differed among the cultivars, but sugar composition ratios were similar. In contrast, the amino acid content remained relatively uniform regarding percentage values, irrespective of the absolute concentrations. Estimations of honey potential production per hectare (kg/ha) resulted in the following ranking among cultivars: 'JM7003' (107.1) > 'YS' (73.0) > 'JM7001' (63.7) > 'TL' (52.7) > 'TM' (42.4). The nectar volume of Pseudolysimachion rotundum var. subintegrum and Leonurus japonicus increased during the flowering stage. P. rotundum var. subintegrum was sucrose-rich and L. japonicus was sucrose-dominant. Both species predominantly contained phenylalanine, P. rotundum var. subintegrum had glutamine as the second most abundant amino acid, and L. japonicus had tyrosine. The honey production potential was 152.4 kg/ha for P. rotundum var. subintegrum and 151.3 kg/ha for L. japonicus. These findings provide a basis for identifying food resources for pollinators and selecting plant species to establish honey plant complexes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Egyptian Journal of Agricultural Sciences is the property of Egyptian National Agricultural Library (ENAL) and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are a global priority in terms of commitment to the responsible development of society. This paper focuses on beekeeping as a strategic sector of the Argentine economy due to its important socio-economic and environmental impacts. The objective of this research is to analyze the practices of beekeeping entities in their alignment with the achievement of the SDGs (with a focus on SDGs 5, 8, 9, 12 and 17), paying special attention to the differential contribution of companies with cooperative formula. It focuses on actions related to work organization, production, innovation and market insertion. To this end, we used variable significance analysis for 2x2 matrices and multivariate factor analysis of multiple correspondences. The results obtained show that there is a positive alignment between the practices of beekeeping sector entities and SDG 5, SDG 12 and SDG 17, with a differential and positive trend for organizations with a cooperative formula. However, the results also show the future challenges faced by the sector, especially with regard to SDGs 8 and 9. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of GeSec: Revista de Gestao e Secretariado is the property of Sindicato das Secretarias e Secretarios do Estado de Sao Paulo (SINSESP) and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

AbstractMaking apiaries more effective is only one aspect of reviving the beekeeping industry. Additionally, the beekeeping industry is generating employment both in rural and urban locations. This study’s goal was to identify the technical levels of honey production in Ethiopia’s Horo Guduru Wollega zone and their contributing factors. To accomplish the aforementioned objective, structured questionnaire data collected from 396 households were used. Stochastic production frontier estimator shows that the number of hives, the amount of work put into producing honey, and the area of the land all significantly influenced the amount of honey produced. In the mean technical of both traditional and modern hives, there were 56.68% and 73.93%, respectively. This demonstrates how technically more efficient farmers who use contemporary hives to make honey are. According to mean technical efficiency, both beekeepers were, however, operating below the production frontier. Household sex, credit utilization, extension services, training, beekeeping experience, and family size were significant technical efficiency variables for honey producers. The study suggests policies to address technical inefficiencies by increasing the number of hives, extending the best performers’ experience by increasing the frequency of extension contacts on honey production, facilitating and expanding credit service in the study area, making bee forage access simple, and increasing forest coverage on land area in line with current policy of Ethiopia. Additionally, since farmers in the study area spend their time guarding the honey from damage by ants, labor that utilizes technology must be made available.

The study was carried out in cheha woreda from Gurage zone, Misrak Azerenet woreda from Silte zone in Ethiopian. The objective of the study was to assessment of bee keeping practice. Multi-stage sampling technic were used first the zones and woreda was selected purposively based on honeybee production potentials, second two kebele from each woreda was selected using random sampling and finally honeybee producing farmers were selected simple randomly sampling and 118 sample size is determine by using yamen formula. Both primary and secondary sources were used for data collection by using semi-structured questionnaires, direct observation, focus group discussions and key informant interviews. SPSS software was used to analysis the data by using descriptive statistics. The study results indicate farmers in study area were engaged for beekeeping practice using either by traditional, transitional or by modern beehive. From the three kinds of beehive type 98.3% of the respondents owned traditional hives. And most respondents were the type of beehive for honey product only. Even most respondents practice traditional beehive 55.1% were main purpose of honey production for both home consumption and for sale and the average honey yield from local, transitional and modern beehive were 4.1 kg, 5.59 kg and 6.63 kg per year/hive respectively. But Poor extension services, Attack by recurrent drought, Pest, predators, and diseases attacking, Lack of improved processing materials, Deforestation of forest, Increase in the Chemical application on crops, Shortage of improved bee flora, Lack of enough modern beehive supply, Lack of credit, Honeybee migration to other area, Presence of different kinds of honeybee enemies like ants, spider hive beetles were found to be the main constraints of beekeeping in the study area. Even availability of many numbers of local bee hives, suitable agro-ecology for honey production, farmers’ willingness to improve beekeeping practices were the main opportunity to produce honeybee in the study area. So Concerning body must to create the opportunity of supplying enough modern beehive to the farmers, in order to increase honey production potentials, must to find the solution in best way of protecting ants other honeybee enemy and it needs to study a research on the effect of chemical application on honeybee production and give the solution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aimed to determine the value of honey source on Robinia by analyzing flower morphology and nectar characteristics in floral nectar of eight selected individuals. The mean nectar volume secreted by genus Robinia was 1.7 ± 1.0 µL. Among the samples, PR (R. margaretta) and HR (R. pseudoacacia) secreted the highest and lowest nectar volumes—3.0 ± 1.1 and 1.1 ± 0.7 µL, respectively. The mean sugar concentration was 44.8 ± 6.1% (range, 40.1–51.4%). The ANOVA results revealed a statistically significant difference in nectar volume and sugar concentration among the eight individuals (p < 0.05). The free sugar content ranged from 0.39 (HR) to 0.78 (KR) mg/μL, and nectar sugar contents ranged from 0.31 (HR) to 1.53 (PR) mg per flower. The sucrose/hexose ratio ranged from 0.5 to 3.6, and sucrose was high in all samples. The results of the Kruskal-Wallis H test revealed significant differences in free sugar content (mg/µL), nectar sugar content per flower and sucrose/hexose ratio (p < 0.05). There were close correlations between nectar characteristics and flower morphology as followed; 1) nectar volume and nectar sugar content per flower (r = 0.976), 2) nectar volume and calyx length (r = 0.952), 3) sugar concentration in nectar and length of inflorescence (r = 0.952). Asparagine was the most abundant (average; 60.2%) amino acid, followed in decreasing order by alanine (6.9%), glutamine (5.2%), and serine (4.7%). The results of Kruskal-Wallis H tests showed that the rate of amino acids of alanine, glutamine, glutamic acid, and arginine significantly differed among the samples (p < 0.05). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, the level of beekeeping activities in Sivas, which has a wide area, and the technical, economic, and market possibilities of honey production and its by-products were evaluated. As well as, it is foreseen to be a source for studies on beekeeping. A survey was conducted in a total of 325 enterprises out of 2097 beekeeping enterprises existing in Sivas province center and in 16 districts. The data obtained were evaluated by considering appropriate statistical methods and the current situation, problems, and development opportunities of beekeeping in Sivas province were tried to be revealed. It has been observed that breeders have problems such as harsh and long winter conditions, wintering problems, shortage of quality and suitable queen bees, inability to find the market opportunity for the produced honey, and insufficient activities of the organizations. It has been concluded that increasing the number of hives through education, encouraging wandering, and producing mutual projects with government programs will increase honey production per hive. With the increase in honey production and the availability of suitable market conditions, the income of the rural people will increase as well as population migration will be prevented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Purpose The purpose of this study was to determine the influence of market information on entrepreneurial orientations of smallholder honey producers. Design/methodology/approach A cross-sectional study design with sample of 250 honey producers was used. Structural equations modeling was used to analyze the hypothesized relationships. Findings Results show that product quality, trader preferences and consumer preferences are the main market information needs that influence entrepreneurial orientation of honey producers. Further, the attributes of market information quality, i.e., information credibility, timeliness, accuracy and usability positively influence entrepreneurial orientation. Practical implications Results of this study calls for prioritization of better access to regular, reliable and usable market information for honey producers in development programs and policies so as to enhance farmer entrepreneurial orientations and product development. Social implications Smallholder honey producers are more likely to efficiently deliver innovative products if development interventions across the public and non-public sector divide become responsive to their marketing information needs as well the quality of market information provided. Originality/value The study uses original data from honey producers to demonstrate the role that marketing information needs as well as market information quality play in catalyzing smallholder farmer entrepreneurial orientation.

Morphometry is a very widespread and effective discipline for the study of the western honeybee Apis mellifera. The aim of this investigation was the quantitative evaluation of morphological characters for Apis mellifera carnica in Tropoja district and their correlation with honey production. Knowledge of the correlation between traits is of great importance for the improvement of such traits. In this study 14 morphological traits of bees sampled from 4 different location (Markaj, Vicidol, Qafe Morine, Luzhe) in Tropoja district were measured and their values were correlated with honey production. The morphometric measurement was carried out using a simple technique depends on the combination between Scanner and Photoshop program, and Scan Photo Technique. According to this method the worker bees were dissected and the separated parts were scanned using a scanner, then the images of the morphological characters were measured with Photoshop program. Statistical analysis of data was performed with programs Statistics 7 and Excel. The average values of the measured parameters were: proboscis length (PL) (6.48 mm), forewing length (FWL) (9.32 mm), forewing width (FWW) (3.08 mm), cubital index (CI) (2.33), hind wing length (HWL) (6.397 mm), hind wing width (HWW) (1.8 mm), femur length (FL) (2.34 mm), tibia length (TL) (3.2 mm), basitarsus length (BL) (2.026 mm), basitarsus width (BW) (1.245 mm), sternite 3 longitudinal (S3) (2.756 mm), wax mirror of sternite 3 longitudinal (WL) (1.35 mm), wax mirror of sternite 3 transversal (WT) (2.338 mm), and distance between wax mirrors of sternite 3(WD) (0.3 mm). Referring to values of coefficient of variation, features can be classified into two groups: (i) PL, FWL, FWW, HWL, HWW, FL, TL, BL, BW, S3, WL, WT features with low level of variation (1.37 - 8.4%); (2) CI, and WD, and features with high level of variation (12.2% - 29.95%). Our result show that proboscis (PL) and forewing length (FWL) had the highest correlation with honey production (r = 0.4017, r = 0.407 P > 0.05). We suggest extending of the study in other districts as well, and also we suggest the study of correlation of other morphometric traits with honey production. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In Hungary, beekeeping is a relatively small-scale sector within the livestock sector, but it is essential for maintaining biodiversity and rural employment. In order to provide ecosystem services such as pollination by honey bees, apiaries need to be economically sustainable, and it is therefore of strategic importance that beekeepers can continue their activities. Based on this, this article's main objective is the economic analysis of Hungarian honey production, which enables the evaluation of the cost–benefit relationships, production volume and the efficiency of the operation. The authors' analysis is based on a Hungarian apiary with 300 bee colonies, which also engages in migration and produces a significant amount of acacia honey. The model farm produces several types of honey due to migratory beekeeping, and its average yield reaches 60 kg/bee colony/year, which the authors calculated based on the average purchase prices in 2021. Based on the farm model, the analysis showed that 71 bee colonies and 4253 kg of honey production reached the profitability threshold. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Community service is a process of self-empowerment for the benefit of society. This service is based on problems that occur in the community that the potential of existing honey has not been optimized to become a superior product. In addition, honey-producing bee farmers only produce honey in one product, namely real honey. Gradually, this product is certainly less attractive to consumers even though honey production keeps continue. Therefore, it is important to explore new business development alternatives so that farmers can receive more benefits from honey bee cultivation. In this community service activity, the team collaborated with Universiti Teknologi Mara (UiTM) Cawangan Melaka, Malaysia with the title Business Development: Potential for Honey Production as an Alternative for Business Development. The methods used in this service are demonstrations and lectures to the participants. The results of community service carried out in Way Kalam Village, Penengahan District, South Lampung Regency, Lampung Province with speakers from UiTM have proven to be able to increase the ability of bee farmers to carry out honey production to marketing and increase the potential income generated from selling honey.

The objective of this research was to analyze the potentialities of Mel do Pantanal (Honey from Pantanal), considering the social and solidarity economy, in Corumbá, MS. The nomenclature “Mel do Pantanal” refers itself to the Geographical Indication (GI) and can be used as a great differential brand for the territory. Research was carried out that identified three realities in the production of honey in Corumbá, MS. The research is characterized as exploratory and descriptive, with a qualitative approach based on a case study (Honey from Pantanal) and three units of analysis: the realities in the production, processing and commercialization of the honey produced in the Pantanal of Corumbá, MS. Data collection involved interviews with producers; for data processing, content analysis was used. The results showed the differences between the realities in terms of appropriation of the GI; production, processing, and commercialization; packaging characteristics; relationship with tourism/tourist and environment. The final considerations present the potential for developing the social and solidarity economy based on governance, self-regulation, collective management, and environmental relations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to determine the influence of market information on entrepreneurial orientations of smallholder honey producers. Design/methodology/approach: A cross-sectional study design with sample of 250 honey producers was used. Structural equations modeling was used to analyze the hypothesized relationships. Findings: Results show that product quality, trader preferences and consumer preferences are the main market information needs that influence entrepreneurial orientation of honey producers. Further, the attributes of market information quality, i.e., information credibility, timeliness, accuracy and usability positively influence entrepreneurial orientation. Practical implications: Results of this study calls for prioritization of better access to regular, reliable and usable market information for honey producers in development programs and policies so as to enhance farmer entrepreneurial orientations and product development. Social implications: Smallholder honey producers are more likely to efficiently deliver innovative products if development interventions across the public and non-public sector divide become responsive to their marketing information needs as well the quality of market information provided. Originality/value: The study uses original data from honey producers to demonstrate the role that marketing information needs as well as market information quality play in catalyzing smallholder farmer entrepreneurial orientation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The contribution of bee forages in the form of nectar, pollen, and propolis to beekeeping development depends on plant species diversity. The data concerning the increase in honey production in southwestern Saudi Arabia, which was unexpected with the deterioration of the vegetation cover, becomes a concrete background for this study, which planned to list the bee plant species contributing as sources of nectar, pollen, and propolis. The sampling method followed a purposive random sampling approach, and 20 × 20 m plots were considered with a total of 450 sample plots. Bee forage plants were identified based on flower morphology and honey bees' actions during floral visits at active foraging hours. A checklist of bee forages containing 268 plants species belonging to 62 families was documented. The number of pollen source plants (122) was more than nectar (92) and propolis (10) source plants. Regarding seasonal distribution, spring and winter were relatively good seasons for honey bees in terms of pollen, nectar, and propolis availability. Generally, this study is an essential step towards understanding, conserving, and rehabilitating plant species providing nectar, forage, and propolis to honey bees in Al-Baha Region of Saudi Arabia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: To control the reproduction of honeybees is complex due to its reproductive particularities; indeed, the mating of the queen takes place while it is in flight with several males. This particularity of the species is an additional challenge in beekeeping when it comes to succeeding in its breeding and obtaining consequent genetic gains in selection. For many years, several methods of mating control have been developed with varying efficiencies. In this study we compared the genetic gains of several performance traits of colonies (i.e., honey production) as a function of selection pressure on reproduction: either directed fertilization or instrumental insemination. The results of this study show that the genetic gains obtained in colonies with artificially inseminated queens are similar to or lower than the genetic gains obtained in colonies with naturally fertilized queens, depending on the performance traits. Overall, these results do not demonstrate that the use of instrumental insemination is effective in increasing genetic gains; however, they show that instrumental insemination can be a useful and effective tool to achieve total reproductive control within a genetic selection program. Controlling mating in the honeybee (Apis mellifera) is part of one of the greatest challenges for the beekeeping industry's genetic selection programs due to specific characteristics of their reproduction. Several techniques for supervising honeybee mating with relative effective control have been developed over the years to allow honeybee selection. As part of this project, we compared the genetic gains for several colony performance traits, obtained using the BLUP-animal method, according to the selection pressure applied in controlled reproduction (directed fertilization versus instrumental insemination). Our results show similar genetic gains for hygienic behavior and honey production between colonies whether queens were fertilized naturally or via instrumental insemination, as well as similar or lower genetic gains for colonies with queens inseminated for spring development. In addition, we noticed greater fragility in queens following insemination. These findings show that instrumental insemination is an effective tool for reproductive control in genetic selection and for estimating breeding values more precisely. However, this technique does not result in queens of superior genetic quality for commercial purposes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: A life cycle assessment (based on ISO 14040 and 14044) considering the climate change (CC) impact category on beekeeping was performed. To this aim, for two consecutive years, data from beekeeping farms were collected, including data on annual honey production, other hive products, geographical locations of the apiaries, the processing infrastructure, technologies used, and the fuel and energy consumption. The overall LCA result was estimated at 1.44 kg CO2e/kg honey, with transport and supplement feeding as main contributors to greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. Migratory beekeeping systems were found to be more impactful than nonmigratory ones. Results of a climate index indicated that the scarcity of rainfall seems to negatively affect the honey yield, as well as increase the provision of supplemental feeding and the amount of GHG emissions. Despite the study limitations, the results obtained provide interesting insight to improve the sustainability of beekeeping practices in light of the EU Green Deal and Farm to Fork strategies. The objective of this study was to quantify the climate change (CC) impact of the honey supply chain in different beekeeping systems and farms, over two consecutive years. The CC impact category is quantified as kg CO2 equivalent and it evaluates the GHG emissions, mainly CO2, N2O, and CH4. The results ranged from 0.44 to 3.18 (p = 0.039) kg CO2e/kg honey with higher values in 2021 than 2020. The main contributors to climate change of the honey supply chain are represented by transport and supplemental feeding inputs. The beekeeping system (migratory or stationary) influenced CC: the contribution to CC for stationary farms was estimated at 0.58 kg CO2e/kg honey and 2.48 for migratory ones (p < 0.001). Given the close connection between honey yield and LCA results due to the unit of measurement of impact, i.e., kg of honey produced, an index was developed (wildflower honey climate index) as a simple benchmark tool for prediction of honey yield in the survey context. Using the data from the present study, we found that the index is positively related to honey yield (r = 0.504; p < 0.05) but negatively related to supplemental feeding (r = −0.918; p < 0.01) and overall carbon footprint (r = −0.657; p < 0.05). Further studies are needed to better explain the effects of weather on honey production, as well as environmental impact. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The growing beekeeping industry in South Korea has led to the establishment of new honey plant complexes. However, studies on honey production from each species are limited. This study aimed to assess the honey production potential of various Brassica napus cultivars and two wildflower species. The nectar characteristics of B. napus varied significantly among the cultivars. Absolute sugar concentrations differed among the cultivars, but sugar composition ratios were similar. In contrast, the amino acid content remained relatively uniform regarding percentage values, irrespective of the absolute concentrations. Estimations of honey potential production per hectare (kg/ha) resulted in the following ranking among cultivars: ‘JM7003’ (107.1) > ‘YS’ (73.0) > ‘JM7001’ (63.7) > ‘TL’ (52.7) > ‘TM’ (42.4). The nectar volume of Pseudolysimachion rotundum var. subintegrum and Leonurus japonicus increased during the flowering stage. P. rotundum var. subintegrum was sucrose-rich and L. japonicus was sucrose-dominant. Both species predominantly contained phenylalanine, P. rotundum var. subintegrum had glutamine as the second most abundant amino acid, and L. japonicus had tyrosine. The honey production potential was 152.4 kg/ha for P. rotundum var. subintegrum and 151.3 kg/ha for L. japonicus. These findings provide a basis for identifying food resources for pollinators and selecting plant species to establish honey plant complexes.

The coronavirus pandemic affected the beekeeping industry by logistics chains, creating reducing honey production and breaking difficulties in seasonal job activities in the hives and the transportation of beekeeping products, and decreasing the information base related to beekeeping. Yet, the demand for honey as a healthy natural product at the pandemic level has increased considerably. Although Azerbaijan has natural and climatic conditions, it is far behind among world honey-producing countries. The paper discusses the certainty of conducting in-depth research to develop the beekeeping sector, considering it a strategic field. It explores the importance of the beekeeping development project implementation by applying a program that combines planned complex measurements through a systematic approach to short-term and long-term existing concrete problem-solving goals in this field.

Honey bees are exposed to a variety of risk factors, among which the ectoparasitic mite Varroa destructor and its associated viruses are considered to be the most significant problem worldwide. It has been widely recognized that honey bee stocks resistant to mites are an essential part of any sustainable long-term management of Varroa. The aim of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of hygienic behavior in a local population of honey bees in reducing Varroa infestation. A bi-directional selection for high and low rates of hygienic behavior was carried out in Israel using either artificially inseminated or naturally mated queens. Colonies were screened for performance including population size, honey production, levels of Varroa infestation, and the level of hygienic behavior. Furthermore, we examined the costs and benefits of the selection, and possible trade-offs, using the above measurements of colony performance to ensure their productivity. The selection process revealed that the trait is heritable. The maternal phenotype has a significant effect on Varroa load, as colonies founded by hygienic daughter queens showed a significantly lower parasite load. No major trade-offs were found between the rate of hygienic behavior, honey yield, and population size. Measuring the direct benefits of hygienic behavior through colony performance suggests that breeding for this trait makes bees more resistant to Varroa destructor. These results are promising for our successful local bee breeding programs in a Mediterranean climate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sunflower (Helianthus annuus L.) has largely failed as a source of extractable honey from present day cultivated hybrids in India since 1999. So, the amount and rhythms of nectar secretion measured as dry nectar sugars (DNS) of 6 hybrids and 2 old populations were evaluated. Three day old florets (DOF) produced maximum DNS (0.891 mg/floret) at 1000 h and in the outermost ring of the capitulum (0.917 mg). Per floret production of DNS in populations was 17.7% higher (0.974 mg) than hybrids (0.803 mg). Population HS-1 and Morden produced maximum DNS per floret (1.004 and 0.943 mg) and DK-3849 was the only comparable hybrid (0.993 mg). Noticeable reduction (14.2–37.5%) was recorded in the rest of hybrids, maximum being in HSFH-1183 (37.5%) followed by Pioneer 64A57 (33.1%). Per hectare, DNS production too was higher (10.2%) in populations (174.3 kg) than hybrids (145.8 kg) although hybrid HSFH-848 was most copious (200.0 kg/ha) followed by populations Morden (188.1) and HS-1 (160.6 kg), other 5 hybrids yielding a low DNS of 116.3–142.5 kg/ha. Populations outperformed hybrids in all DNS production factors viz. per floret (0.974 mg), by florets in their life cycle of 3 days (2.921 mg), per capitulum (3137.5 mg) and per hectare basis (174.3 kg). High DNS producing old populations Morden and HS-1 recorded lowest honey bee abundance (0.33 and 0.47 bees/capitulum/minutes−2) than hybrids (0.51–0.69 bees) except Pioneer 64A57 which despite the lowest DNS (116.3 kg/ha) recorded maximum abundance (0.69 bees), indicating their preference for pollen. Studies attribute non extraction of honey to lower nectar production by a majority (83.3%) of new hybrids than old populations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In Hungary, beekeeping is a relatively small-scale sector within the livestock sector, but it is essential for maintaining biodiversity and rural employment. In order to provide ecosystem services such as pollination by honey bees, apiaries need to be economically sustainable, and it is therefore of strategic importance that beekeepers can continue their activities. Based on this, this article’s main objective is the economic analysis of Hungarian honey production, which enables the evaluation of the cost–benefit relationships, production volume and the efficiency of the operation. The authors’ analysis is based on a Hungarian apiary with 300 bee colonies, which also engages in migration and produces a significant amount of acacia honey. The model farm produces several types of honey due to migratory beekeeping, and its average yield reaches 60 kg/bee colony/year, which the authors calculated based on the average purchase prices in 2021. Based on the farm model, the analysis showed that 71 bee colonies and 4253 kg of honey production reached the profitability threshold.

Beekeeping contributes significantly to both beekeeping enterprises and the country's economy, as it provides jobs, income, and nutrition for the rural population of developing countries. Mersin City is an essential region for beekeeping, both in terms of honey production and migratory beekeeping in Turkey. In this study, the efficiency of beekeeping enterprises was revealed, and the factors causing inefficiency were examined. The efficiency measure of enterprises was determined using data envelopment analysis (DEA). According to the findings obtained, beekeeping enterprises' technical efficiency, allocation efficiency, and economic efficiency were calculated as 0.89, 0.84, and 0.81, respectively. The economic efficiency score showed that inefficient enterprises could effectively reduce their production costs by 19%. When the factors causing inefficiency are examined, it is revealed that income per hive, subsidy rate, and credit use have adverse effects on efficiency, education level, experience, number of honey frames used per hive, and migratory beekeeping effects. According to the results, it is thought that increasing education and extension activities, improving marketing opportunities, legal regulations in using agricultural credits, and extending consultancy services can also help to increase economic efficiency in the research field. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mountain animal food products are at the center of attention due to their intrinsic value and, as such, mountain beekeeping products deserve attention and effort for their valorisation. The work aimed at investigating the quality traits of mountain honey samples from Kyrgyzstan, giving particular emphasis on the amino acid profiles and their possible relationship with the other chemical-physical characteristics. The moisture content, acidity, pH, and diastase activity of honey samples were within the limits established by normative documents. The honey samples showed a higher diastase activity (26.34 - 77.9 Schade units), which demonstrates the high quality and superiority of mountain honey. The amino acid content of Kyrgyz honey was investigated for the first time. The major amino acids were proline (1553 mg/kg), followed by phenylalanine (805 mg/kg), lysine (349 mg/kg), and arginine (261 mg/kg). The sum of essential amino acids ranged from 675 to 4506 mg/kg and that of total amino acids from 1539 to 8958 mg/kg. Weak positive correlations were found between the altitude of the collection area and asparagine, glutamine, histidine, glycine, threonine, alanine, proline, valine, and total amino acids. The results form a basis for the establishment of quality standards for mountain honey. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Meliponiculture, the rational breeding of native stingless bees, is considered an excelente sustainable alternative to assist in the pollination process and is an economically viable activity. In the cerrado of Tocantins, the meliponine species that stand out most due to their wide distribution are: Scaptotrigona tubiba, Melipona fasciculata,M. rufiventris and Tetragonisca angustula. The bibliographic collection about these species is still little explored, hence there is a need for research to deepen the existing knowledge in the area. For this reason, the aim of this study was: a) to quantify the honey production of four meliponine species: T. angustula, M. fasciculata, M. rufiventris, and S. tubiba; b) to determine the physicochemical characteristics of the product; c) measure the biological parameters of the colony and d) evaluate the profile and sensory acceptance of honey in the municipalities, Palmas and Miracema, in the Tocantins. The study evaluated the biological parameters of the colony, honey production, and physicochemical analysis. The highest honey production came from the species T. angustula in the two collections for the municipality of Palmas. For Miracema, the species S. tubiba and M. fasciculata were evaluated, respectively. The physicochemical parameters evaluated fit the norms assigned to honey quality control. Results showed that honey from M. fasciculata was the sensory profile that obtained the best average among the characteristics observed in the study. There was a positive and negative correlation between the biological parameters, with a significant difference only between the characters’ height and diameter of the honey pot.

Copyright of Acta Veterinaria Brasilica is the property of Acta Veterinaria Brasilica and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Beekeeping is increasingly promoted in developing countries as a promising option for income diversification in rural areas while contributing to poverty alleviation. Unfortunately, the development of the value chains of its most known and marketed product (honey) is still in its beginning stages. Little is known about the honey value chain environment and entry points for its development. Through interviews with 406 informants, this study investigated three honey value chains – "honey harvested in wild," "honey from traditional beekeeping" and "honey from semi‐modern beekeeping." Data was collected on their operation, profitability, and long‐term perspectives. The following agents were involved in the value chains: input suppliers, honey producers, middlemen, transporters, and consumers. Farmer's associations, government, non‐governmental organizations, quality control organizations, and financial organizations were also involved in the operation of the value chain of honey from semi‐modern beekeeping. In the case of the value chains of honey harvested in the wild and honey from traditional beekeeping, only a government department and financial organizations were involved in its operation. Networks were the main coordination mechanism in the value chain of honey from semi‐modern beekeeping. There was a low representativeness of market coordination in the three value chains. The value chain of honey from semi‐modern beekeeping had the highest value‐added. All of the value chains were financially profitable, but various weaknesses prevented the efficiency of the value chains. Relevant policy options are discussed to address these issues. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Background Initiatives for beekeeping intensification across the tropics can foster production and income, but the changes triggered by the introduction of modern beehives might permeate traditional knowledge and practices in multiple ways, and as such should be investigated and understood. We conducted an ethnobotanical study in the Eastern part of the Mau Forest among Ogiek beekeepers who customarily practice forest beekeeping and who are involved in a project aimed at the modernization of their beekeeping activities. We aimed to document the beekeeping-associated ethnobotanical knowledge, exploring the relationships and complementarity between modern and traditional knowledge and practices. Methods Field research was carried out through semi-structured interviews with 30 Ogiek beekeepers and 10 additional stakeholders. We collected ethnobotanical data about plants used for beekeeping purposes, and ethnographic information on traditional and modern beekeeping systems. Results We report 66 plant species, distributed across 36 botanical families representing 58 genera, important as melliferous, for the construction and placing of hives, attracting bees, and harvesting and storing honey. Dombeya torrida (J.F.Gmel.) Bamps, Juniperus procera Hochst. ex Endl., and Podocarpus latifolius (Thunb.) R.Br. ex Mirb. are the species with the most mentions and the highest number of uses. Our study reveals that the Ogiek possess a detailed knowledge of the forest’s flora, its importance and uses and that this knowledge underpins beekeeping practices. Under the influence of external actors, the Ogiek have progressively adopted modern versus traditional log hives and moved beekeeping out of the forest into open areas of pastures and crop fields. Beekeepers are also experimenting with combinations of practices borrowed from modern and traditional beekeeping systems, particularly in the field of hive construction and in the criteria to set up apiaries. Conclusions The study indicates a complementarity and an incipient hybridization of traditional and modern beekeeping, in a way that suggests that modern beehives are instrumental in expanding the reach of beekeeping into deforested and cultivated areas. The study also points to the existence of a rift in the effects of beekeeping intensification on the livelihoods of the Ogiek and on their relationship with the forest. We argue that this intensification might be improving the former but weakening the latter, carrying the associated risk of erosion of traditional forest-based ethnobotanical knowledge.

Thanks to the influence of the CAP in recent years, Bulgaria has become a leader in the production and export of natural honey as a member of the EU (Koprivlenski, Dirimanova, and Agapieva, 2015). This proves that favorable natural and climatic conditions are only a prerequisite for the successful development of the sector. In order to achieve lasting market advantages, it is necessary to implement an adequate policy to promote the development of the sector (Lyubenov, 2018). The industry is defined as one of the few in which there is a large number of young entrepreneurs and start-ups. The purpose of the article is to analyze the market situation of the industry before and after the country’s accession to the EU. Through numerous comparisons of individual indicators, we seek to establish the role of the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) in shaping the market orientation of Bulgarian beekeeping. The market analysis of the industry covers the following stages: (1) analysis of honey production; (2) analysis of trade in honey and (3) analysis of market positions. Thanks to the skillful use of natural and climatic conditions as well as the accumulated experience of the participants in the chain-value in this type of activity, Bulgaria remains one of the dominant participants in the European market of bee products. The production expansion caused by the industry’s contribution to the financial assistance provided under the CAP is valorized, achieving market positions in markets where honey is traded at higher market prices.

The contribution of bee forages in the form of nectar, pollen, and propolis to beekeeping development depends on plant species diversity. The data concerning the increase in honey production in southwestern Saudi Arabia, which was unexpected with the deterioration of the vegetation cover, becomes a concrete background for this study, which planned to list the bee plant species contributing as sources of nectar, pollen, and propolis. The sampling method followed a purposive random sampling approach, and 20 × 20 m plots were considered with a total of 450 sample plots. Bee forage plants were identified based on flower morphology and honey bees’ actions during floral visits at active foraging hours. A checklist of bee forages containing 268 plants species belonging to 62 families was documented. The number of pollen source plants (122) was more than nectar (92) and propolis (10) source plants. Regarding seasonal distribution, spring and winter were relatively good seasons for honey bees in terms of pollen, nectar, and propolis availability. Generally, this study is an essential step towards understanding, conserving, and rehabilitating plant species providing nectar, forage, and propolis to honey bees in Al-Baha Region of Saudi Arabia.

Copyright of Journal of Plant Protection & Pathology is the property of Egyptian National Agricultural Library (ENAL) and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Morphometry is a very widespread and effective discipline for the study of the western honeybee Apis mellifera. The aim of this investigation was the quantitative evaluation of morphological characters for Apis mellifera carnica in Tropoja district and their correlation with honey production, since the correlation between traits is of great importance for their improvement. In this study 14 morphological traits of bees sampled from 4 different location (Markaj, Vicidol, Qafe Morine, Luzhe) in Tropoja district were measured and their values were correlated with honey production. The morphometric measurement was carried out using a simple technique depends on the combination between Scanner and Photoshop program, Scan Photo Technique (Abo-Shara, 2012). According to this method the worker bees were dissected and the separated parts were scanned using a scanner, then the images of the morphological characters were measured with Photoshop program. Statistical analysis of data was performed with programs Statistics 7 and Excel. The average values of the measured parameters were: proboscis length (PL) (6.48 mm), forewing length (FWL) (9.32 mm), forewing width (FWW) (3.08 mm), cubital index (CI) (2.33), hind wing length (HWL) (6.397 mm), hind wing width (HWW) (1.8 mm), femur length (FL) (2.34 mm), tibia length (TL) (3.2 mm), basitarsus length (BL) (2.026 mm), basitarsus width (BW) (1.245 mm), sternite 3 longitudinal (S3) (2.756 mm), wax mirror of sternite 3 longitudinal (WL) (1.35 mm), wax mirror of sternite 3 transversal (WT) (2.338 mm), and distance between wax mirrors of sternite 3(WD) (0.3 mm). Referring to values of coefficient of variation, features can be classified into two groups: (i) PL, FWL, FWW, HWL, HWW, FL, TL, BL, BW, S3, WL, WT features with low level of variation (1.37 - 8.4%); (2) CI, and WD, and features with high level of variation (12.2% - 29.95%). Our result show that proboscis (PL) and forewing length (FWL) had the highest correlation with honey production (r = 0.4017, r = 0.407 P > 0.05). We suggest extending of the study in other districts as well, and also we suggest the study of correlation of other morphometric traits with honey production. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]