Lower Austria records good honey harvest after weak years

Lower Austria has recorded a better honey harvest this year after two weak seasons, ORF reported. Beekeepers collected an average of around 25 kilograms of honey per colony, with a cold winter and favourable spring conditions helping the season.

Josef Niklas, president of the Lower Austrian Beekeepers’ Association, said the harvest was not exceptionally large but was well above expectations. He also praised the quality of the honey, saying the bees had enough time to process the nectar, resulting in low water content, good consistency and mature honey.

Beekeeper Michaela Pucher said a cold winter benefits bees because it gives them a brood break before spring. Spring temperatures were also important. Harvests vary significantly depending on the region and weather: Frost has previously caused the acacia blossom to fail completely, while drought can affect sunflowers.

The availability of different honey varieties in Lower Austria contributed to the positive overall result, Niklas said. The average harvest of around 25 kilograms per colony is in line with the long-term average.

Beekeepers must continue working after extracting the honey. They prepare their colonies for autumn and winter by reducing their size.

Since mid-June, labels on honey blends have had to list all countries of origin and the percentage from each country. The regulation is intended to provide greater transparency. Niklas said the change gives consumers the option of rejecting products from countries whose environmental standards they do not support.

People in Austria consume around 1.2 kilograms of honey per person each year. Niklas said price alone should therefore not determine purchasing decisions. For beekeepers in Lower Austria, the new labelling rules provide an additional argument in favour of locally produced honey.