Serbia has the most beehives per capita, said Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Water Management Jelena Tanasković.
Minister noted that the number of beehives is continuously increasing, with the average annual production of honey being more than 7,000 tons.
As announced by the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Water Management, at the opening of the 23rd International Professional Seminar of Beekeeping Associations in Aleksinac organized by the Regional Association of Beekeeping Organizations of Southeast Serbia, beekeeping has experienced strong development in recent years, honey has become an important export product of Serbia, and the state will and continue with incentives for beekeepers in the future.
Minister Tanasković indicated that the better organization of beekeepers in terms of purchase and distribution led to an increase in the number of hives, given the increased export demand.
She pointed out, beekeepers in Serbia, in addition to national incentive measures, can also receive funds based on tenders that Serbia implements in cooperation with the World Bank.
The President of the Association of Beekeeping Organizations of Serbia (SPOS), Rodoljub Živadinović, stated that currently the state allocates more than seven million euros to support beekeeping through subsidies, and participated with 25 per cent in the costs of building a plant for the sale of honey.
Recent studies show a dramatic decline in the number of bees on the planet in recent years, and the main reasons for their extinction include deforestation, the use of pesticides or the lack of flowers.