Santander, Feb 1 (EFEAGRO).- Cantabrian beekeepers have gathered this Wednesday in Santander so that the “current and real” situation of the sector is known, which they have assured is of “great uncertainty” due to “the total immobilization” of the sale of honey production.
The head of the sector at UGAM-COAG and beekeeper, Manuel Barquín, has pointed out to journalists that about 70 percent of the production of 2022 is in warehouses, because hardly any sales have been made and those made “have been at prices below those that were in 2021 ».
“There is practically no movement, the large distribution industry has opted for low-cost honey of Chinese, Ukrainian or Polish origin,” explained Barquín, who has assured that this situation does not only affect Spain but also France and Italy.
This beekeeper has warned that when a bulk is below 3 euros “it cannot be honey.” «Nobody sells to die», he has underlined himself.
Barquín has insisted that the origin of honey is “more than doubtful” and that he has stated that “it is difficult to detect it because in Europe the chemical techniques that allow us to know if it is honey or glucose of cereal origin such as corn are not approved. or rice.
“The main help now would be to fight fraud, of course we ask for help but if fraud is fought, the problems begin to disappear,” said the head of the UGAM-COAG beekeeping sector.
And he has highlighted that the problem is when the beekeeper cannot sell what he produces because they do not buy it or because they “drop the price”, which is a fraud for the producer and the consumer.
In addition, he recalled that beekeeping not only produces honey, but all the food that is manufactured through pollination.
“They will be able to import something they call honey, because if it were honey they would not get the bills, we are competitive with any honey from the rest of the world but we are not competitive with glucose from rice and corn,” Barquín emphasized.
