SANTIAGO: A rapid decline in Chile’s bee population has seen the domestic honey harvest fall by as much as 60 percent, the country’s media reported.
The Chilean bee population has been hit hard by drought conditions in the centre of the country, which has withered flower buds and deprived bees of nectar.
The declining bee population could have a domino effect on Chile’s main fruit exports such as avocado and apples because the fruit are pollinated by bees, experts told the Santiago Times.
Last year Chile exported US$21 million of honey and US$1 million of live queen bees, with the majority of exports going to Germany.
The bulk of the Chilean honey is of the mid-market multi-flower variety, although the country also boasts several premium single-blend varieties such as the smooth Ulma honey.
Source: Santiago Times, La Tercera
