The effects of a wide range of honey-related products will be discussed at a fair in Lower Austria this weekend.
Christian Schmid – an organic beekeeper from Kaltleutgeben near Vienna – will speak about the various beneficial impact of substances such as propolis, pollen and beeswax at the Ab Hof Fair in Wieselburg on Saturday, 4th March.
Propolis is a resin that bees create which contains a mixture of bee saliva, beeswax and substances from plants. It reportedly has benefits concerning issues such as minor wounds, cold sores and allergies.
However, the effectiveness of the application of propolis has been at the heart of engaged debates for some time. Medical News Today points out that “few high quality studies have proven its effectiveness as a treatment for specific conditions in humans.”
Christian’s 90-minute lecture starts at 10am at the fair which focuses on regional products and ways to improve their distribution.
The president of the Austrian Apiary Association, Reinhard Hetzenauer and representatives of its Lower Austrian division will discuss a broad range of current topics from 5pm on Friday, 3rd March.
Valeria Voith from the Lower Austrian agriculture high schools will provide information on the most important tasks of beekeepers during springtime on Sunday (5th March) lunchtime.
There are more than 33,000 beekeepers in Austria, according to statistics provided by the Federal Agriculture Ministry.
In the 2020/2021 business year, the 456,000 honeybee colonies that exist across the country produced 4,100 tonnes of honey.
Beekeeping is most popular in the provinces of Upper Austria, Lower Austria and Styria.
The small Central European country – which has nine million inhabitants – was ranked 13th among the EU-27 in the European Commission’s 2021 honeybee hive statistics.
