A Lithuanian beekeeper who decided against selling the 15,000 kilogrammes of honey he harvested this year due to low prices has urged lawmakers to provide more financial support.
The apiary of Tomas Jasiukenas features around 150 hives. Despite having generated approximately 100 kilogrammes of honey from each of them, Tomas decided against selling it.
The Biržai-based beekeeper told broadcaster LRT: “This year they offered EUR 1.60 (GBP 1.40) per kilogramme. My brother and I discussed it and decided that we won’t sell but keep it.”
According to Tomas, prices were more than twice as high last year.
Tomas is concerned. He emphasised: “We need something to live on. We do it for a living. We don’t have any extra jobs.”
Honey farm managers in the Baltic country are increasingly pressurised by the price decrease caused by overproduction and the import of low-cost honey from countries outside the European Union.
Tomas warned that some apiaries could be forced to stop operating.
He appealed to EU decision-makers and his country’s federal government to take action.
Tomas told LRT: “We would like to see more attention to beekeeping from the EU and from the Ministry of Agriculture to protect the market and to prevent imports from third countries.”
He suggested: “There could be some kind of payment per hive. At least EUR 10 to 20 (GBP 8.60 to 17.20) per hive.”
Around 11,000 of Lithuania’s 2.8 million inhabitants engage in beekeeping. Most of the apiaries in the country are small family businesses.
