Sweet year: About 2,000 tons of honey will be marketed during the Tishrei holidays Israel today

Towards Rosh Hashanah: Honey production will be about 3,600 tons, and during the Tishrei holidays, about 2,000 tons of honey will be marketed, which is 40% of Israeli demand.

Honey Council CEO Ofi Reich said: "This year, the volume of local honey production is about 3,600 tons of Israeli honey, produced from 120,000 hives scattered throughout the country.

During the Tishrei holidays, honey with a total value of about NIS 90 million will be sold in terms of price to the consumer.

"Last year, the honey production was about 4,000 tons of honey, thanks to a blessed winter season. Last winter was characterized by high temperatures and dryness, precipitation appeared at different times than usual, but eventually led to an average amount of rain and ensured spring and summer blooms. For the season "notes Reich.

Bees in action // Photo: Eyal Margolin-Ginny,

The Honey Council encourages direct purchase from bees in their hives, and some offer deliveries throughout the Tishrei holidays. "It is important right now, in the days when all agricultural industries are fighting for their future and the future of food security, and after the closures in the Corona crisis, to buy honey directly from hives in Israel to support beekeepers who ensure food security in Israel both in times of crisis and routine," says Reich.

The data show that the consumption of honey among the Israeli public amounts to about 5,500 tons per year. An Israeli consumes an average of 250 grams of honey in the month of Tishrei, out of an annual consumption of about 600 grams per person. The growing appreciation for the health benefits of honey, which is considered the "natural sweetener of nature" and the variety of flavors, has in recent years led to a trend among the general public to consume 'varietal honey' - most of which is produced from one flower, 80% nectar of the same variety. In Israel, there are more than 20 types of varietal honey: hyssop, sage, jujube, thyme, elderberry, Eshel, avocado, onion flowers and more.

The Honey Council clarifies that the prices of honey to consumers in Israel are mostly low and similar to the prices of honey abroad. The average retail price per jar of a kilogram is about NIS 45.

It should be noted that in addition to honey production in Israel, over 1000 tons of honey are imported, duty-free imports, under trade agreements with the EU, USA and South America, and comply with the requirements and standards set as international standards.

According to the Honey Council, in Israel the honey bee contributes about NIS 3 billion a year to the agricultural GNP in Israel.