Argentine apiculture plays an important role in the international market, as the main destination for honey and other beehive products such as beeswax, propolis and living bees is the foreign market, where Argentina occupies a privileged position as the world’s third producer and first exporter country.

• Honey world production is around 1.4 million tons. Six countries concentrate 50% of total world production where there has been a slightly growing trend in the last decade.
• Argentina occupies the third place as honey producer worldwide, after China and the United States. Its production volume represents 70% of South American honey, 25% of American honey and 6% of total world production.
• According to data provided by the RENAPA (National Registry of Apicultural Producers), under the coordination and management of the National Food Administration (SAGPyA Res. 283/01), the apicultural activity is developed at present by a little more than 30,000 producers who count with 3,900,000 beehives. Estimates indicate that more than 5,000,000 beehives could be held in production.
• Average national yield is between 30 and 35 kg/beehive/year. In some areas harvests average 60-70 kg/beehive/year, similar to the highest in the world.
• The province of Buenos Aires concentrates more than 40% of national honey production.
• Slightly more than 104,000 tons of honey in bulk and fractioned were produced in 2006. This figure indicates a 10% increase compared to 2005, and income generated was near 154 million dollars.
• The first production estimates indicate a production decrease of around 20% in the present season.
• Argentine honey exports from January to june 2007 were practically 43,500 tons, showing a 20% volume reduction compared to the same period in 2006.
• Generated income (68 million dollars) has been 13% higher compared to the same period in the previous year, and export operations were carried out by 78 export companies.
• Following the honey trend, sales of other beehive products show a marked growth. Among those products, beeswax appears as the most significant in terms of income for the apiculture sector.
• In 2007 year to date, 149 tons have been exported for a FOB value of 482,000 US$, 84% higher in volume and 57% higher in dollars, compared to the same period of the previous year. The most outstanding destinations were United States, Japan, Germany and Spain.
• Sales of propolis and queen bees abroad, measured in dollars, have grown for two consecutive years.
• The main destinations for propolis were Italy, Germany and Spain, while living bees were shipped mainly to France, Libya, Italy, Germany and Lebanon.

POTENTIAL

• Argentine apiculture is today one of the main actors in the world market as it counts with many comparative and competitive advantages.
• Some of them are important flower offer, variety of climates for production, vast uncontaminated fields where the native flora prospers, good quality of honey and beehive products.
• In addition, it counts with a traceability system considered to be a model in its type, acknowledged by the main buyers.

• The high concentration of shipments to countries within the European Union should not close the possibility of exploring new markets for the Argentine honey, particularly when countries that may be potential destinations for our exports are emerging, such as Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, Egypt, Libya and other African and American countries.
• Regarding production, it is convenient to implement a regionalization of our honeys in order to obtain the best typical products of each region, thus opening new possibilities for the offer of differentiated honeys that would enable excellent commercial results in the domestic as well as in the foreign market.

SOURCES CONSULTED

Customs - FAO - SENASA - RENAPA - Sector companies.