Facilitating credits for producers, as well as encouraging the production and marketing of honey, are some of the plans that the Salvadoran authorities have for the coming years.
The Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock (MAG) will implement the 2019-2028 Beekeeping Sector Policy, which was developed by the productive sector in the National Beekeeping Table, with financing from Swisscontact and the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), through its innovation laboratory BID-LAB, informed an official source.
Mieles Joya de Cerén began exporting certified organic honey to Costa Rica, and in the coming months plans to start marketing it in Portugal and Spain.
The Salvadoran company began certification in 2017, and after analyzing 4,000 hives in 87 bee houses owned by seven national beekeepers, was able to complete the process.
Saúl Díaz, regional director of Swisscontact, the institution implementing the project called Promotion of Competitiveness for Sustainable Beekeeping (Focapis), told Elmundo.sv that "... Of the 80 tons of certified organic honey, 60 will go to Costa Rica and in the coming months will be sold to Portugal and Spain. This achievement breaks the paradigm that it was not possible to certify organic honey as a small country, with conventional production systems, and opens the way for other producers to venture into high-value markets with differentiated products."
Climatic factors and a fall in international prices are some of the reasons for the reduction of 50% in the volume exported in 2016 compared to the previous year.
The export value fell from $9 million in 2015 to almost $2.7 million reported in 2016.The volume exported fell from 2.5 million kilos in 2015 to 1.2 million kilos last year. In addition to drought, prices have also been affected by a decline in sales, as other countriessell honey at prices that are more competitive than El Salvador.
The value of honey exports fell by 80% in the first four months of the harvest from 2015 to 2016, and the volume decreased by 70%.
Honey exports in El Salvador fell by 70% between November 2015 and February 2016 compared to the same period previously. The fall has been explained by the effects of drought, but with more intensity, in the low international price of honey, well below the production costs per hundredweight, according to the Center for Tropical Agricultural Research and Higher Education (Catie) published by Elmundo.sv. Beekeeping cooperatives have received offers of $55 per hundredweight, which contrast with the $125 offered in 2015.
During 2013 foreign sales of 2 thousand tons generated revenues of $6.1 million.
Data from the Ministry of Economy (Minec) reveals that in recent years Salvadoran honey has gained ground especially in the European market. During 2013 foreign sales of the product generated revenues of $6.1 million, which is 29% more than in 2012, when $4.7 million worth was sold.
The country has high quality honey but is far from competing with the big exporters like China and India.
The main destination of the 1,978 metric tons of honey produced during the 2012-13 harvest was Europe, however, this is not enough for the country to compete with major exporters such as China, Mexico or India. This amount was 536 tons more than the harvest exported during 2011-12 when 1,442 tons were sold.
The "Coffee and Honey Mayan Group" consists of five business from the Salvadoran coffee and honey sectors who together are making a joint effort to promote their products.
Elmundo.com.sv reports that "Five small and medium enterprises in the areas of coffee and honey will unite to form a consortium for a promotion that will allow them to facilitate the export of their products abroad through various joint activities, reported the Productive Chains Directorate of the Ministry of Economy (Minec). "
Besides Germany, natural honey from El Salvador could enter this year the markets of Belgium, Armenia and Spain.
Data from the Central Reserve Bank (BCR) indicates that exports of honey to the three new markets represent 7.1% of total exports to date.
"Although it is a small percentage of all export earnings, it sets the tone in expanding destinations, since the German market has traditionally accounted for the Salvadoran product.
Honey production is facing several problems, and has therefore seen a reduction in exports to the European Union.
According to official data from 2003, they produced 2,304 metric tones of honey in the country. In 2007 it was at 44.5% less. Similarly, exports have shown the same tendency. In 2003 they exported 1,843 metric tones to Central America and Europe, but in 2007 it was at 946 metric tones (48.67% less).