Year Number of beekeepers

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1 Other relevant information on the apiculture programme, in particular with regard to the study referred to in Annex II to Regulation (EC) No 917/2004 Situation in the beekeeping sector in Slovakia The beekeeping sector currently provides approximately beekeeping families in the Slovak countryside with all or part of their income. It thus makes a significant contribution to preserving the rural population by reducing migration from the countryside to the cities. Apiculture helps maintain the natural ecological balance. Beekeeping conditions in Slovakia The natural conditions in Slovakia are favourable for beekeeping. The growing season and flowering season provide enough food for bee colonies. There are extensive high-quality coniferous forests in Slovakia, and acacia and oak forests provide high-quality bee pasture. Willow stands, nectariferous shrubs and fruit tree plantations also favour the expansion of bee colonies in the spring. With regard to crops, large areas of rape and sunflower are beneficial to beekeeping. Areas of phacelia, mustard or nectariferous forage crops are limited and restricted to certain territories. 1. Bee colonies and beekeepers 1.2. hives and beekeepers as at Total number of hives: Total number of beekeepers: professional beekeepers with more than 150 hives: Developments in beekeeping from 1982 to 2012: Year beekeepers hives Year beekeepers hives

2 Year beekeepers hives Source : Central Register of Hives 2. Marketing structure up to 2012: 2.1. Honey exports Developments in honey exports and prices, Honey exports Total EU 27 Third countries volume in kg , ,00 x 000s 3 594, ,32 x /kg 3,53 3,53 x volume in kg , , ,00 000s 1 311, ,25 198,46 /kg 6,21 6,54 4,84 volume in kg , , ,00 000s 2 481, ,61 681,31 /kg 5,82 6,35 4,76 volume in kg , , ,00 000s 2 250, ,88 434,30 /kg 6,28 6,60 5,24 Source : Statistical Office of the Slovak Republic; RADELA, s r. o., Bratislava Developments in honey exports by country, , in kg Austria 803,00 x 8 280, ,00

3 Belgium , , , ,00 Bulgaria , , ,00 x Czech Republic , , , ,00 Germany , , , ,00 Denmark , , ,00 x United Kingdom 570,00 12,00 14,00 169,00 Ireland 88,00 42,00 12,00 18,00 Poland , ,00 x 50,00 Romania 4,00 x 25,00 53,00 Hungary , , , ,00 Italy , ,00 x Lithuania 468, ,00 30,00 x France ,00 x x x Sweden x , ,00 x Spain x x x 5 236,00 EU , , , ,00 Argentina x x 35,00 x Japan x , , ,00 Norway x 186,00 x x Qatar x x 169,00 x Saudi Arabia x x x 1 240,00 Third countries x , , ,00 TOTAL , , , ,00 Source : Statistical Office of the Slovak Republic; RADELA, s r. o., Bratislava

4 2.2. Honey imports Developments in honey imports and prices, Honey imports Total EU 27 Third countries volume in kg , , , s 1 634, ,07 152,72 /kg 2,22 2,67 5,92 volume in kg , , , s 5 020, ,00 353,88 /kg 5,63 6,87 4,89 volume in kg , , , s 8 817, ,43 670,22 /kg 6,51 8,72 6,31 volume in kg , , , s 6 016, , ,73 /kg 3,74 6,45 1,61 Source : Statistical Office of the Slovak Republic; RADELA, s r. o., Bratislava Developments in honey imports by country, , in kg Austria 540, , , ,00 Belgium 37,00 141,00 34,00 x Bulgaria x x , ,00 Czech Republic , , , ,00

5 Germany , , , ,00 Spain 115, , ,00 70,00 France 2 940,00 8, ,00 216,00 United Kingdom 381, , , ,00 Greece 1 070, , ,00 x Hungary , , , ,00 Italy 719, ,00 150,00 86,00 Netherlands x 85,00 x 167,00 Poland x , , ,00 Romania x 2 979,00 x x EU , , , ,00 Canada 8,00 x x x New Zealand 129,00 358,00 241,00 236,00 China , ,00 x x Ukraine , , , ,00 Brazil x 177,00 x x Moldova x x x ,00 Third countries , , , ,00 TOTAL , , , ,00 Source : Statistical Office of the Slovak Republic; RADELA, s r. o., Bratislava 2.3. Honey production and hives in Slovakia in 2012, by region Region Bratislava Trnava Nitra Trenčin Banská Bystrica Žilina Prešov Košice Total Number of hives

6 Honey production, tonnes 158, , , , , ,92 442, , Source : Central Register of Hives 3. Honey prices The prices of honey sold directly to consumers currently range from EUR 5.5 to 8.5/kg. Prices of honey sold to processors and dealers range from EUR 1.7 to 3.5/kg. Prices of blossom honeys range from EUR 1.7 to 2.3/kg; prices of honeydew honeys range from EUR 2.7 to 3.5/kg. 4. Estimated honey production and processing costs (per hive per year) Costs per hive per year, in intensive beekeping, are estimated, depending on geographical and climatic conditions, to be between EUR 104 and EUR 115 fixed costs: - labour EUR 40 - amortisation EUR 10 - maintenance EUR 5 variable costs: - treatment of varroa mite disease EUR 2 - winter feeding EUR 20 - packaging material EUR 4 - transhumance EUR foundations EUR 4 - replacement of queens EUR Honey quality No pan-european trade marks have been registered under Council Regulations (EEC) Nos 2081/92 and 2082/92, or Council Regulations Nos 509/2006 and 510/2006 which replaced them, nor have they been registered under the current instrument governing quality schemes, Regulation (EU) No 1151/2012 of the European Parliament and of the Council. There is a national trade mark for members of the Slovak Beekeepers Association (the "SZV") and the Slovak Federation of Beekeepers (the "SVS") - "Slovak Honey" ("Slovenský Med"), with stringent quality requirements (hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF) up to 15 mg/kg, water up to 18 %) and a well-defined geographic origin in Slovakia.

7 Publicising apiculture products at national exhibitions, regional honey festivals and other events raises interest among Slovak consumers in Slovak honey and other apiculture products of domestic origin. Enhancing Slovak consumers' awareness of the real quality of genuine Slovak honey gives rise directly to an approach to, and interest in, buying Slovak honey and an increase in its consumption by domestic consumers. Raising consumers' awareness of the characteristics of genuine Slovak honeys helps the domestic consumer to better distinguish between our honeys and low-quality imported honey, and thus to correctly interpret misleading advertisements for imported honeys in our commercial network (supermarkets and hypermarkets). At the same time, our consumers are becoming less interested in adulterated honey sold in car parks and motorway lay-bys. Ultimately, the aim is to: - increase our nationals' consumption of high-quality Slovak honey - reduce exports of high-quality Slovak honey and reduce imports of low-quality foreign honey - reduce our nationals' purchase and consumption of low-quality honey.