Argentina is one of the world’s major agricultural producers, ranking among the top producers in many products, including honey. The country produces 65,000 tons of honey per year and exports 95% of production, mainly to countries such as the United States, Germany, Japan, Italy, Canada, France and Spain. . There have been moments of more than 100,000 tons production, however this has decreased due to the intensification of agricultural production and climate change. During 2019, Argentina exported $146.7 millions worth of natural honey.
The start of the 2019/2020 beekeeping season was very good in general in almost all areas, due to the timely spring rains. Some areas were complicated by drought, however the harvest started last December (earlier than usual) and ended in February. An average of 25-40 kilos of honey is expected per Argentine hive, a figure that is predicted to increase. At the end of last year, 12,800 beekeepers were registered in all of Argentina, however in April of this year the registry had increased to 13,300.
La Pampa is estimating 6.1 thousand tons with 350 beekeepers and 180 thousand hives. It represents 10.5% of the country’s production, estimated at 60 thousand tons at an external average price of US $ 2.32 a litre, generating income for the province of US $ 14 million.
Adulterated and infiltrating global markets are a real threat, China being the largest adulterator of the product. Chinese counterfeiters have developed methods over more than three decades, permeating international markets. In this context, Argentina has managed to stand out. It is not a small thing for a country that at times seems to have no plan. A key piece is the INTA beekeeping program (ProApi), who work on adjusting the technological path to grow. Antibiotics have been removed from the hives, there are management practices to recover colonies from diseases without chemicals, the use of organic acaricides was implemented. The market demand in terms of consuming natural foods has led to increased research and development, substituting chemical products and developing a unique traceability plan.
Tradelinks high quality honey is produced and extracted at a very low temperature to retain the maximum level of live enzymes, nutrients, vitamins, and minerals found naturally in honey. If you would like more information on our guaranteed traceable honey, please email sales@tradelinksa.com.
