“The linden tree is not blooming for the first time in 45 years”: how war, climate and EU quotas are changing Ukraine’s honey map
10 June 13:04
INTERVIEW
Ukraine is one of the three largest exporters of honey in the world, despite the war, the loss of territories, logistical problems, and now restrictions imposed by the European Union. Last year, the country exported record volumes of products – more than 85 thousand tons. However, behind this figure is not only the labor of beekeepers, but also the price of war, destroyed infrastructure, and the policies of neighbors who are less and less inclined to solidarity.
On June 6, the EU imposed a strict quota on duty-free Ukrainian honey – only 3,500 tons by the end of 2025. This is a blow to one of the oldest and cleanest industries in the Ukrainian agricultural sector, which generates significant foreign exchange earnings and provides jobs for thousands of small producers.
"Komersant Ukrainian" talked to Vadym Pankovskyi, Commercial Director of Bartnik LLC, one of the founders of the Association of Ukrainian Honey Exporters and Processors, about why high export figures are not always a sign of growth, how the geography of Ukraine’s honey map is changing, and what the price of honey will be for Ukrainians.
The EU quota will be exhausted in a few days
Ukraine is the third largest exporter of honey in the world, behind only China and India. How does the country manage to maintain such a position despite the war, logistical problems, and EU restrictions?
The fact is that the 85 thousand tons of exports declared as the figure for honey exports last year is not the gross harvest of the product. This is the amount of honey that beekeepers and farms have accumulated over the past three years. And it coincided that in 2024 this record amount left Ukraine. That is, this is not the harvest of 2023-2024, it is the harvest of 2022, 2023 and 2024.
People expected something better, a better price. There is a so-called “carryover”, and it was included in the exports in 2024. Therefore, I have to state that we have lost exports because of the war. For objective reasons. We are losing territories, which means that there are fewer farms and private producers that were located in these occupied territories. At the same time, there is no oversupply of farms in the peaceful territories.
Since June 6, the European Union has set a quota for duty-free exports of Ukrainian honey of only 3.5 thousand tons by the end of 2025. How will it affect our beekeepers and exports in general, given that last year we exported 85 thousand tons?
According to our estimates, these 3.5 thousand tons will leave the country by June 13. And the EU will report that we have already chosen the quota.
However, to be fair, I can say that Ukrainian honey will not be abandoned, because it is present in many recipes. This is honey that is competitive in quality and price.
If we add the 17.8% duty, we reach the average cost of honey in Romania and Bulgaria. This will be a very painful blow for importers.
Is the issue of revising or expanding this quota being discussed in the framework of negotiations with the EU? What arguments does the government or business give in favor of Ukraine?
This is a final decision, and it will not be revised. Because our honey, the amount of it that is exported to the EU, is of great concern to European importers.
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Beekeeping is migrating to the west of the country
The war caused the loss of some territories, particularly in the south and east, where large apiaries traditionally operated. What happened to honey production in these areas? Is it possible to restore it?
Of course, it can be restored. Provided that the government develops some mechanisms for reimbursement, compensation for losses at the expense of our neighbor in the North.
Anything is possible, but will there be human resources, will there be anyone to restore? Yes, there are areas that have been demined, and there is some peace there. There are wild plants that can be used to make honey, and there are cultivated plants. You can grow them, start bees, and work in this direction. But it is unknown whether there will be human resources and whether everything will go as we plan.
Where are most beekeeping farms in Ukraine concentrated today? Which regions show growth despite the overall losses?
Traditionally, the largest number of beekeeping farms was concentrated in Zaporizhzhia, Kherson, Mykolaiv, and Kirovohrad regions.
As for growth, due to weather conditions and the migration of internally displaced persons, beekeeping is gradually shifting towards the center and west of Ukraine. For example, five years ago, no one considered sunflower as a crop in western Ukraine, particularly in Ternopil and Khmelnytsky regions. Traditionally, soybeans and corn were grown there, and buckwheat and rapeseed were the honey crops. And sunflower, due to the weather conditions, is currently producing very good results in the west.
The cost of honey is calculated “from the reverse”
Honey in Ukraine is currently quite expensive for domestic consumers. How is its cost formed, what are the main cost components, and is the honey business really profitable for small and medium-sized producers?
Honey is a high value-added product. On store shelves, at least, I see a lot of products from small producers who enter the network and offer their products. But this is usually the prerogative of small farms that produce a small amount of honey and sell it at a much better price than the “wholesalers.”
As for what the cost of honey production consists of, no beekeeper will answer this question. Because he starts from the opposite. He starts from the fact that he needs to pay off a loan, for example, and calculates how much he can sell a jar of honey for to make some money.
I once tried to calculate the cost of honey production together with a beekeeper, which includes the cost of bee packages and queen cells, and it turned out to be a ridiculous price, somewhere around 0.7-0.8 euros or a euro cent. Everything else, such as apiary security, etc., costs a penny.
It is easier for us, as exporters, to calculate the cost of production because we understand the purchase price, the warehouse and production part, which includes energy, etc. And finally, we start from the price of honey on the domestic market.
What will be the price of honey for Ukrainians by the end of the year?
The fact is that, in fact, there is no first honey in Ukraine. It was a very strange spring. Acacia trees were frozen. As for linden, Chernihiv and Sumy regions are usually the linden regions in Ukraine. I talk to beekeepers, and they tell me that this year, for the first time in 45 years of beekeeping, there is no flower on the linden tree. Not only is it not blooming, it hasn’t even set a blossom.
So, it’s a very difficult spring, and all hope is in the weather, in buckwheat and sunflower. I really hope that prices will remain at the level they were last year.
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