Castilla-La Mancha to establish honey sector interprofessional body

The beekeeping sector in Spain is facing significant challenges due to climate extremes, rising costs, and biological threats. In Castilla-La Mancha, regional authorities and sector organizations have agreed to establish the Interprofessional of Honey and the Apicultural Sector. This new body aims to organize the value chain, ensure product traceability, and promote honey in both national and international markets.

To support producers, the regional government intends to propose specific coupled aid for apiculture within the framework of the future Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) to Brussels. Additionally, there are demands to include beekeepers in professional diesel tax relief to mitigate the high costs of transhumance and hive maintenance. The administration also plans to update economic modules for modernization grants to reflect current investment costs.

In other regions, such as Alcoià, producers report that drought and the presence of the greater wax moth (abellerol) are threatening honey production, with potential reductions exceeding 40% in some areas. The lack of flowering due to drought, combined with the predatory impact of the wax moth, has weakened bee colonies. Beekeepers are calling for official protocols and compensation measures to offset the rising costs of feeding bees and transporting hives.