Today, the "right" bees not only make the "right" honey, but are also a key link for the ecosystem. In anticipation of the "Honey Spas", experts from the Russian Agricultural Bank spoke about the beekeeping market in Russia and its development prospects.
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Historically, private household plots (PHP) have played a key role in honey production in Russia — they account for more than 94% of bee colonies. The volume of commercial honey production in 2023 amounted to 64.5 thousand tons, of which 660 tons (90.7% of 2022) were produced by agricultural organizations, 3.5 thousand tons (+4.5% compared to 2022) by peasant farms, and 60.4 thousand tons (95.9% of 2022) by PHP. For private household plots, beekeeping is, first and foremost, a profitable business, which, with the right approach, pays for itself in the first or second season, and its profitability reaches 30%.
More than 32% of honey was collected by beekeepers of the Volga Federal District, 26% was collected by the Central Federal District, in third place in terms of honey collection volume was the Southern Federal District (14%), 13% was collected by Siberian beekeepers. The largest number of bee colonies is concentrated in traditionally agricultural regions. Moreover, the taste of the product depends on the climatic and environmental conditions of the territory where it was collected. Honey from each region has a unique set of taste and healing qualities.
Rating of honey-collecting regions based on the results of 2023:
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Republic of Bashkortostan (5.9 thousand tons, 9% of the honey collection volume in the country and 29% in the Volga Federal District);
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Altai Krai (4.8 thousand tons, 8% of the honey collection volume in the country and 57% in the Siberian Federal District);
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Voronezh Region (3.9 thousand tons, 6% of the honey collection volume in the country and 24% in the Central Federal District);
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Republic of Tatarstan (3.7 thousand tons, 6% of the honey collection volume in the country and 18% in the Siberian Federal District);
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Krasnodar Krai (3.3 thousand tons, 5% of the honey collection volume in the country and 38% in the Southern Federal District);
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Belgorod Region (2.9 thousand tons, 5% of the honey collection volume in the country and 19% in the Central Federal District);
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Rostov Region (2.9 thousand tons, 4% of the honey collection volume in the country and 33% in the Southern Federal District).
According to the forecast of experts from the Russian Agricultural Bank, the volume of commercial honey production by the end of 2024 will maintain the figures for the previous period and will amount to 64 thousand tons. Moreover, according to analysts, the volume of Russian honey exports will grow – by the end of the year it will exceed 5 thousand tons, with China remaining the largest buyer (23% of purchases were made in 2023).
“Growing demand for natural products, technological innovations, and the development of online trading are just some of the factors that will shape the landscape of this dynamic industry in the coming years,” commented Natalia Khudyakova, head of the Sustainable Development Center at Rosselkhozbank .
Russian consumers continue to reject refined sugar in favor of natural alternatives. Honey is one of the main drivers of this trend. Currently, Russians consume about 0.5 kg of this product per year. According to experts from the Russian Agricultural Bank, honey consumption will steadily grow by 3-5% per year.
Russians are giving up juices and nectars in favor of kvass and mors
