The state distributes ten million euros in subsidies to beekeepers. It is paid per hive. And that's all freaky, believes Stanko Rajić from the Belgrade Association of Beekeepers, because it doesn't promote beekeeping.
Department of Agriculture, forestry and water management announced a public call for incentives per beehive Bee for this year. The subsidy is one thousand dinars per beehive.
Too little, says Stanko Rajić, president of the Belgrade Association of Beekeepers, for Vreme.
"That is not enough if you want to achieve something. Practice has shown that it did not help." beekeepers in general, on the contrary, it even made a mess," he says.
"In order to be able to submit a request for subsidies, you must report to the competent veterinarian twice a year where your apiary is located, so that he can carry out supervision. An expert veterinarian should come and count the hives," says Rajić.
He adds, the beehives should be marked with barcode tiles. "A few years ago, there were a lot of reported hives that actually don't exist. If the veterinarians had done it properly, if they had marked the hives, it probably wouldn't have happened," he claims.
Then again, he says, small beekeepers look forward to subsidies regardless of whether they are successful or not. The state rewards it in a populist way.
"We have greatly complicated an occupation that could be very beautiful and responsible. Unfortunately, the vast majority of those who keep bees are happy when they receive subsidies," concludes Rajić.
Results do not follow promises.
Dragan Glamočić, Minister of Agriculture, stated that the Ministry will "continue to provide support" to the development of beekeeping, the improvement of honey quality and the protection of domestic producers.
But what kind of support has been provided so far?
"When analyzing the past period with this type of subsidization, the results show that it is bad," says Rajić.
It is feared that this round of subsidies - almost ten million euros - will be wasted instead of better invested.
"Let's say that with that money they encourage every farmer to sow honey grass on five percent of the arable plot and let it bloom," he states. That way, he adds, the bees would have more food.
Furthermore, Rajić suggests that the money be used to compensate beekeepers in the case of poisoning of entire beehives, for example through negligent use of pesticides.
"Today, the beekeeper himself has to initiate court proceedings. He needs a thousand papers, to pay for laboratories, to send emails and letters to ministries, commissions, the police and to wait a few years for the court to issue a decision in his favor," adds this beekeeper.
Expected shortage of acacia honey
In Serbia, honey is produced that cannot be sold, because production is higher than per capita consumption, which is why honey is exported.
"I am sure that there are still stocks of honey from last year and the year before last, which were not marketed because the purchase price of honey is very low, due to the foreign market, and honeys are imported into Serbia that are extremely cheap. They also say that they are of dubious quality, I will not judge, I am not that professional, but at such a low price it is not worth it for anyone to produce honey", explains Rajić.
However, due to climate changes and the damage suffered by both beekeepers and plants, this year there will be a shortage of acacia honey, which is the easiest to sell in our area, because its demand is at an enviable level.
"The acacia was damaged by the recent low temperatures and began to bloom very weakly and only in the tops of the trees. The flower was quite damaged and according to the information from the field, I have not yet heard of anyone dealing with any yield," he points out.
Rajić is sure that the supply of acacia honey will be very weak, but as he says, people probably have some left over from last year and the year before last.
"Although that is also questionable, because even then the condition of the acacia pasture was quite bad. There will be no acacia honey, but there will be some other types of honey, so our beekeepers, that is, consumers will have to get used to that as well. Or they will buy in the market, who knows what," he concludes.
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