Current Situation of Honey-Producing Apiaries—Quantitative Study of Honey Production Characteristics Based on a Questionnaire Survey in Hungary

This study examined the conditions and factors affecting honey production in Hungary from the perspective of Hungarian beekeepers. Due to the scarcity of research on Hungary, this study can be considered a missing piece. The survey was based on a questionnaire survey (N = 632). Basic statistical too...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Agriculture (Basel) 2024-12, Vol.14 (12), p.2100
Main Authors: Feketéné Ferenczi, Aliz, Kovácsné Soltész, Angéla, Szűcs, István, Bauerné Gáthy, Andrea
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Apiculture
average yield
Beekeeping
Bees
Biodiversity
Biological diversity conservation
Colonies
colony number
correlation
Crop production
Economics
Honey
honey bees
Landscape preservation
Pasture
Pathogens
Pesticides
Plant layout
Plant reproduction
Pollinators
Population decline
Population studies
Quantitative research
Questionnaires
Surveys
types of honey
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Summary:This study examined the conditions and factors affecting honey production in Hungary from the perspective of Hungarian beekeepers. Due to the scarcity of research on Hungary, this study can be considered a missing piece. The survey was based on a questionnaire survey (N = 632). Basic statistical tools (frequencies, means) were used to describe the data. To assess differences between some categorical variables, cross-stability was assessed using chi-square tests, and non-parametric tests were used. Based on the study results, the study population has an average of 101 colonies per beekeeper. Beekeepers with a low number of colonies are mainly hobby beekeepers for whom non-economic goals are a priority. The average honey yield is 40 kg per bee colony, with a wide variation between counties. The primary function of beekeeping is production and selling, followed by the importance of pollinating crops and other plants, maintaining natural landscapes and habitats, and conserving plant biodiversity. Around 80% of beekeepers keep bees primarily for income, which is consistent with production and selling as their primary activity. The main problems identified are bee mite infestation (Varroa destructor Anderson and Trueman), bee poisoning from pesticides, Nosema (Nosema apis Zander; Nosema ceranae Huang) infection, problems with sales and profitability, and lack of bee pastures.
ISSN:2077-0472
2077-0472
DOI:10.3390/agriculture14122100