Montalcino (Siena), 10 September 2021 – It’s alarm for honey, in regions like the Tuscany and Emilia-Romagna production recorded a 95% drop. In Lombardy, the lack of acacia production has caused damage of over 30 million euros: on average a hive has produced 500 gr / 1 kg against 20 kg in previous years.
The crisis was registered also in the South with the production of orange honey almost eliminated in many areas of Sicily and Puglia, and an average production lower than 50%.
The 2021 vintage is destined to become the most bitter of the last decades. The honey crisis has also caused Montalcino (Siena) Honey Week, which is also part of the Le Città del Miele association, to skip, after almost half a century of punctual annual editions.
The production criticality of honey in Tuscany and other Italian regions depended on the weather conditions. The spring production of dandelions and cherry trees in the spring had already been compromised, then the production of acacia honey was almost completely lost due to the low temperatures and frosts recorded both in the North and in Central Italy.
The weather affected even on the almond blossom, cherry, asphodel, clover and citrus in the South, thus eliminating the production of nectar necessary to allow the bees to colonize and develop for subsequent harvests.
In many cases the farmers were forced not to store the nectar, which was served first of all for the nourishment of bees, and expensive artificial feeding of the hives to prevent them from starving. Problems also for queen bees: fertilization has been reduced by about 20%.
The appeal of Coldiretti Marche, which asks support strategies for a sector that counts over 77 thousand beehives in the Marche region: “An extraordinary intervention is needed to support the regional beekeeping sector severely damaged by drought. The companies are in extreme difficulty”.
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