France's beekeepers count cost of devastating year as honey production plummets

David Coffey with RFI

9 September 2024 at 8:07 am·1-min read

As the summer draws to an end, beekeepers across France are taking stock of a year blighted by heavy rains and low temperatures that have decimated hives and honey production.

Beekeepers say 2024 has proved a disastrous year for honey production. The spring honey harvest fell by as much as 80 percent in some parts of France, with many bees dying from starvation.

The primary culprit is poor weather: cold temperatures and relentless rain have left colonies unable to forage, forcing some beekeepers to supplement their diets with sugar and adding significant costs in an already struggling industry.

When it rains, bees stay inside their hives instead of flying out to collect nectar. During these periods, they consume their reserves of honey, depleting the very resource they are supposed to produce.

Compounding the problem are cooler-than-usual temperatures, which prevent flowers from producing the nectar essential for bees’ survival and honey making.

This year, the impact has been widespread across France, with unseasonable weather affecting almost every region.

National weather service Météo France reported that spring rainfall was 45 percent above the annual average, with nearly 20 percent less sun than in previous years.

In the run-up to this summer, temperatures remained well below the 18°C needed for flowers to produce nectar.

The plan includes specific measures to halt and reverse the decline of pollinators.

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