Published in Scientific Papers. Series "Management, Economic Engineering in Agriculture and rural development", Vol. 24 ISSUE 3
Written by Agatha POPESCU, Toma Adrian DINU, Elena STOIAN, Valentin SERBAN

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.

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