Honeyernte falls below average

The spring was rather cool and wet for weeks. This also affected the work of the bees and consequently the honey harvest.

There were too many bees in the spring it was too cold (archive image)

Bakery - Honeyernte falls below average

Beekeepers in Rhineland-Palatinate and Saarland had a poor honey harvest in this spring. "This was due to this long period of bad weather," said Christoph Otten, head of the Bees and Beekeeping Center in Mayen, to the German Press Agency. Figures on the estimated yield should be available in about two weeks. However, it is clear that "the summer harvest will be better," he said.

In the spring, the weather was first very nice, during which the bees collected a lot. Then it was cold and rainy for over four weeks. Only then could the bees start working again. The spring harvest, also known as the "fruit harvest," runs until mid-June. It mainly concerns honey from fruit trees and rapeseed.

This harvest has been very different regionally. For example, in the western part of Rhineland-Palatinate, it can be described as "rather, very modest." There were hardly any harvests there, but there were also good harvests in some places. In the end, the average prevailed. The honey harvest in Saarland was even worse than in the Trier region.

The further one looks from the west to the east, the better the results: In the Koblenz region, the harvest was better, in Hesse even better, and in Thuringia then even better. One can therefore say: "It reflects the weather developments during the early phase very clearly," said Otten. The summer harvest usually lasts until mid-July.

In Rhineland-Palatinate, there are 6,500 to 7,000 beekeepers. In Saarland, the number is around 1,000, said Otten. The Bees and Beekeeping Center is responsible for a industry survey, in which thousands of beekeepers participate nationwide every year.

1. Despite the poor honey harvest in Saarland and Rhineland-Palatinate this spring, Christoph Otten from the Bees and Beekeeping Center in Mayen's agricultural sector believes that the summer harvest will be better.
2. The 'Honeybear' beekeepers in Saarland had a challenging spring with cold and rainy weather, significantly impacting their 'spring harvest', or 'fruit harvest'.
3. The German Press Agency reported on the difficulties faced by beekeepers in the Rhineland-Palatinate and Saarland regions, citing Christoph Otten of the Bees and Beekeeping Center in Mayen.
4. The 'Bakery' industry relies on honey from regions like Rhineland-Palatinate and Saarland for their products, and the delayed 'honey harvest' could potentially impact their supply chain.
5. In contrast to the western part of Rhinland-Palatinate's rather modest honey harvest, the results in the eastern regions like Thuringia have been consistently better, reflecting the influence of weather patterns on the 'agricultural level'.