Ukraine’s honey exports hit an all-time high in the first nine months of 2017 on the back of the increased demand in the United States and Europe, according to an official from the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO).
According to Anna Burka, the FAO consultant, Ukraine supplied abroad a record of 46,200 tons of honey worth $86.9 million in January-September, becoming the world’s fifth largest exporter of this product.
9 out of 10 key importers of honey from Ukraine have increased purchases this year, Burka said. According to the official, the United States was the biggest buyer of Ukrainian honey, accounting for 27% of the total sales, followed by Germany, Poland, France, and Belgium.
Currently, some 400,000 beekeeping households are operating in Ukraine and more than a dozen of them are exporting the sweet product. In August, Ukraine’s State Service for Food Safety and Consumer Protection said the country also hoped to get a green light from China for honey products exports as early as by year-end. (UNIAN/Business World Magazine)