The honey harvest in Bierzo is far below the 20 kilos per hive needed for profitability, with…

The honey harvest in Bierzo is far below the 20 kilos per hive needed for profitability, with production barely reaching eight kilos per colony. This marks the fourth consecutive year of such low yields, a situation described as "unsustainable" by Javier Morán, president of the León Beekeepers Association. High summer temperatures combined with attacks from the Asian hornet (vespa velutina) and bears have caused this "disaster." Additionally, the market price remains low due to the influx of Asian honeys. Another concern is the high number of hives that experienced bee mortality during spring. These factors together are making it nearly impossible to sustain current beekeeping operations, Morán warns. Currently, Bierzo has 700 professional beekeepers.