During a recent trip to a big-name US drug store, Kim saw honey on the shelf for $4.99 per pound. It was a blend of honeys from Argentina and India. A US commercial beekeeper shoots for a price of honey (in the 55-gallon barrel to a packer) for about the going price of diesel fuel, which, at the end of May was pushing $7 per gallon.
In today’s Honey Bee Obscura episode, Kim and Jim dissect this problem a bit.
This quickly leads to the question we should all ask ourselves before we casually hand out honey to friends, family and the cable repair guy - how much does it cost you to make a pound of honey? Commercial beekeepers know and know what they have to get to stay in business.
And to compete with cheap imports, US beekeepers must either lower their prices, which isn’t possible, or force foreign exporters to sell for more, through applied tariffs on imported honey.
To compete, US Beekeeping associations and other groups requested such a tariff on honey coming into the US from Brazil, India, Mexico and Vietnam, the four largest and cheapest, exporters of honey to the US.
Time will tell if this provides any lasting relief or just pushes the problem to come into the USA from other countries.
Listen in as Kim and Jim discuss this issue.
If you like the episode, share it with a fellow beekeepers and/or let us know by leaving a comment in the show notes. We'd love to hear from you!
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Thanks to Betterbee for sponsoring today's episode. Betterbee’s mission is to support every beekeeper with excellent customer service, continued education and quality equipment. From their colorful and informative catalog to their support of beekeeper educational activities, including this podcast series, Betterbee truly is Beekeepers Serving Beekeepers. See for yourself at www.betterbee.com
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Honey Bee Obscura is brought to you by Growing Planet Media, LLC, the home of Beekeeping Today Podcast.
Music: Heart & Soul by Gyom, Walking in Paris by Studio Le Bus, original guitar music by Jeffrey Ott
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