REUTERS
Ukraine needs about two years to regain its position in the global honey market.
About 40,000 bee colonies have been killed as a result of poisoning with pesticides and other chemicals in Ukraine in 2019, and Ukrainian beekeepers' losses are estimated at UAH 120 million, or US$4.8 million.
One bee colony costs up to UAH 3,000, or US$120, Pro-Consulting's press service reported, citing data from the Union of Beekeepers of Ukraine.
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"Ukraine needs about two years to regain its position in the global honey market, and this will happen if bee poisoning does not repeat, which no one can guarantee," the company quotes analyst Ivan Shpak as saying.
According to the analyst, exports of Ukrainian honey have decreased this year due to a decrease in demand abroad and mass diseases of bees.
At the same time, the expert noted that the advantage of Ukrainian honey on the world market is the favorable environmental situation in Ukraine. Yet, the press service says, farmers' responsibility for poisoning bees is too minor, even taking into account financial sanctions.
"For a beekeeper to claim any compensation, first of all, there should be proof that the death of his bees was caused by poisoning, and there are only few such cases. And the fines paid do not even nearly compensate for all real losses," Shpak said.
According to the expert, Ukraine is unlikely to boost production and exports of honey in 2019-2020 to record levels registered 2017 over a decline in honey prices abroad and the mass death of bees.
As UNIAN reported earlier, Ukraine in 2018 reduced honey exports by a quarter, to 49,900 tonnes.