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 16 000 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 31.12.2012 1.3. Total number of hives: 254 859 1.4. Total number of beekeepers: 16 338 1.5. professional beekeepers with more than 150 hives: 64 1.6. Developments in beekeeping from 1982 to 2012: Year 1982 1983 1984 1985 1986 1987 1988 1989 1990 1991 beekeepers 36 366 36 750 38 281 37 965 38 330 37 929 38 465 38 812 35 824 34 528 hives 376 080 387 635 430 086 427 637 439 215 442 639 472 943 474 296 430 098 408 684 Year 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 beekeepers hives 32 151 30 037 28 639 27 738 26 579 25 467 21 911 19 988 19 806 19 203 361 983 328 350 316 544 307 715 286 385 289 518 280 717 284 641 268 855 280 524
Year 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 beekeepers hives 18 469 18 123 15 782 14 290 14 339 14 854 14 005 14 699 15 688 15 224 16 388 258 773 192 002 224 641 276 518 246 259 247 678 221 146 235 689 252 485 257 449 254 859 Source : Central Register of Hives 2. Marketing structure up to 2012: 2.1. Honey exports Developments in honey exports and prices, 2009-2012 Honey exports Total EU 27 Third countries 2009 2010 2011 2012 volume in kg 1 018 740,00 1 018 740,00 x 000s 3 594,32 3 594,32 x /kg 3,53 3,53 x volume in kg 211 310,00 170 324,00 40 986,00 000s 1 311,71 1 113,25 198,46 /kg 6,21 6,54 4,84 volume in kg 426 488,00 283 484,00 143 004,00 000s 2 481,92 1 800,61 681,31 /kg 5,82 6,35 4,76 volume in kg 358 181,00 275 341,00 82 840,00 000s 2 250,98 1 816,88 434,30 /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, 2009-2012, in kg 2009 2010 2011 2012 Austria 803,00 x 8 280,00 1 410,00
Belgium 99 569,00 5 591,00 37 698,00 48 301,00 Bulgaria 14 823,00 19 336,00 26 696,00 x Czech Republic 12 702,00 38 098,00 24 926,00 170 187,00 Germany 466 919,00 51 787,00 144 612,00 45 030,00 Denmark 35 332,00 8 265,00 8 586,00 x United Kingdom 570,00 12,00 14,00 169,00 Ireland 88,00 42,00 12,00 18,00 Poland 26 011,00 2 800,00 x 50,00 Romania 4,00 x 25,00 53,00 Hungary 136 010,00 3 652,00 3 207,00 4 887,00 Italy 150 023,00 17 613,00 x Lithuania 468,00 2 337,00 30,00 x France 75 418,00 x x x Sweden x 20 791,00 29 398,00 x Spain x x x 5 236,00 EU 27 1 018 740,00 170 324,00 283 484,00 275 341,00 Argentina x x 35,00 x Japan x 40 800,00 142 800,00 81 600,00 Norway x 186,00 x x Qatar x x 169,00 x Saudi Arabia x x x 1 240,00 Third countries x 40 986,00 143 004,00 82 840,00 TOTAL 1 018 740,00 211 310,00 426 488,00 358 181,00 Source : Statistical Office of the Slovak Republic; RADELA, s r. o., Bratislava
2.2. Honey imports Developments in honey imports and prices, 2009-2012 Honey imports Total EU 27 Third countries volume in kg 737 788,00 556 111,00 181 677,00 2009 000s 1 634,79 1 482,07 152,72 /kg 2,22 2,67 5,92 volume in kg 891 471,00 679 356,00 212 115,00 2010 000s 5 020,88 4 667,00 353,88 /kg 5,63 6,87 4,89 volume in kg 1 353 726,00 934 485,00 419 241,00 2011 000s 8 817,65 8 147,43 670,22 /kg 6,51 8,72 6,31 volume in kg 1 607 220,00 709 414,00 897 806,00 2012 000s 6 016,01 4 574,28 1 441,73 /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, 2009-2012, in kg 2009 2010 2011 2012 Austria 540,00 1 575,00 1 729,00 10 152,00 Belgium 37,00 141,00 34,00 x Bulgaria x x 10 761,00 1 323,00 Czech Republic 362 043,50 406 434,00 464 669,00 248 189,00
Germany 33 482,25 21 700,00 30 379,00 31 208,00 Spain 115,00 24 794,00 31 069,00 70,00 France 2 940,00 8,00 6 239,00 216,00 United Kingdom 381,00 2 220,00 2 967,00 2 772,00 Greece 1 070,00 4 276,00 3 207,00 x Hungary 154 783,25 59 134,00 255 433,00 225 153,00 Italy 719,00 2 934,00 150,00 86,00 Netherlands x 85,00 x 167,00 Poland x 153 076,00 127 848,00 190 071,00 Romania x 2 979,00 x x EU 27 556 111,00 679 356,00 934 485,00 709 407,00 Canada 8,00 x x x New Zealand 129,00 358,00 241,00 236,00 China 162 400,00 20 300,00 x x Ukraine 19 140,00 191 280,00 419 000,00 798 000,00 Brazil x 177,00 x x Moldova x x x 99 570,00 Third countries 181 677,00 212 115,00 419 241,00 897 806,00 TOTAL 737 788,00 891 471,00 1 353 726,00 1 607 213,00 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 9 370 22 621 47 815 24 860 49 136 26 106 36 888 38 063 254 859
Honey production, tonnes 158,842 374,665 782,037 361,375 796,555 362,92 442,484 587,69 3867 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 4 10 - foundations EUR 4 - replacement of queens EUR 15 20 5. 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.
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.