Climate: 75% of Tunisian beekeepers suffer decline in honey production in recent years

Tunis: Nearly 75% of Tunisian beekeepers, weakened by climate change, have suffered a drop in honey production in recent years, chief engineer at the Office of Livestock and Pastures (French: OEP), Hassene Ben Salem, said in Tunis on Monday. Their average honey production did not exceed 4 kilograms per hive due to the heat waves, added Ben Salem, who was speaking at a national workshop on "The beekeeping sector in Tunisia: economic and environmental importance in the face of climate change". The engineer took the opportunity to highlight the vulnerability of bees to climate change, which makes the entire beekeeping sector dependent on the climate and causes honey production to fluctuate. Hassene Ben Salem also spoke of the damage being done to bee colonies and the beekeeping sector in general in Tunisia, including parasites, invasive diseases, global warming and the use of pesticides, which not only damage biodiversity but also threaten honey production. The beekeeping sector in Tunisia had 13,000 beekeep ers and 305,000 hives (302,000 modern and 3,000 traditional) in 2023, according to Ben Salem. Since 1909-1912, average honey production has fallen from 20 kg per hive to 8 kg per hive at present. This decline in the amount of honey produced per hive over the last century is explained by several factors, including the deterioration of the genetic potential of the Tunisian bee breed, the reduction in the area of honey-producing plants and global warming. The latter has led to a significant reduction in the amount of nectar in flowers, making it increasingly difficult for bees to produce honey," Ben Salem summed up. Source: Agence Tunis Afrique Presse