Abstract: China’s bee industry and technology development will show a positive development trend in 2023, but it will also face some challenges and opportunities. This article summarizes the development status of the bee industry in 2023 from the aspects of domestic bee product production and trade, domestic bee industry technology research progress, etc., analyzes the existing problems in the development of my country’s bee industry, makes judgments on industry development trends, and proposes the development of my country’s bee industry policy recommendations.
As an indispensable part of animal husbandry, my country’s bee industry occupies a pivotal position in the world. Thanks to the in-depth implementation of the national poverty alleviation policy and rural revitalization strategy, the populations of the two main bee species raised in my country, Apis cerana (referred to as Chinese bee) and Apis mellifera (referred to as Apis mellifera), have both achieved significant growth. Especially among bees, the number has grown from about 4 million to nearly 7 million, and the per capita breeding scale is between 200 and 350, an increase of more than 10% compared with the previous year, which has significantly promoted the high-quality development of the industry. The Italian bee population remains at about 6 million colonies. In beekeeping practice, these two types of bees have their own strengths and weaknesses. The products of Chinese bees are relatively simple, mainly honey, and the output is lower than that of Italian bees. The average annual honey production per group is about 5kg, and a few high-yielders can reach 10~15kg. In comparison, Italian bees not only produce up to 50kg of honey, but also produce a series of products such as royal jelly, bee pollen, and propolis.
As far as honey is concerned, my country’s annual output ranks first in the world. In recent years, my country’s annual honey production has remained at about 500,000 tons, accounting for 55% of Asia’s total production and 27% of the global market share, ranking first in the world for many years. The EU’s average annual production is about 250,000 tons, accounting for 13% of the world, while Turkey ranks third with an average annual production of nearly 100,000 tons, accounting for 5% of the world. However, affected by adverse weather and the reduction of bee farms in 2023, honey production has declined. It is expected that the production will decrease by 15% to 20%, and the price will increase by 10% to 15% compared with the previous year. Although prices have increased, beekeepers’ income has declined due to reduced production of raw materials, and the beekeeping industry faces greater challenges. As for royal jelly, production in Anhui and Zhejiang will begin around March 20 in 2023, slightly earlier than the previous year. By the beginning of April, most bee farms had fully started pulp extraction work. Different regions and nectar plants have a certain impact on the price of royal jelly, with the price range gradually falling from 130 yuan/kg to 96~100 yuan/kg. Although the yield is generally high, the 10-HDA content continues to decrease, and pesticide residue problems still exist in some areas, which may weaken the overall quality of royal jelly products. In terms of propolis and bee pollen, the output in 2023 is basically stable and the same as in previous years, with no obvious fluctuations. Overall, my country’s bee industry has overcome difficulties while still showing resilience and development potential.
01 Bee industry production and trade situation
1.1 Analysis of domestic market situation
Beekeeping in China is huge, with approximately 12 million bee colonies and more than 3 million beekeepers. Although China is a big beekeeping country, the intensity of its beekeeping industry has not yet reached the level of a powerful country, and the overall industry scale is small. In terms of commercial breeding of queen bees, the market is immature and most transactions are conducted among private individuals at various prices. The price of Chinese honey bee queen bees is roughly 50 to 300 yuan, while the Western honey bee queen bee is 60 to 100 yuan. Medium bee queens with specific breeding characteristics (such as Aba king, red-ringed king, hybrid black king, etc.) usually sell for higher prices; among Western bee queens, the selling price of pulp-producing queens is higher than that of honey-producing queens.
Entering 2023, although the industry generally expects the bee product market to improve, according to raw material conditions and market research, honey prices will basically remain at the level of previous years. Linden honey has different prices due to its different purity, ranging from 13,000 to 19,000 yuan/t. When the temperature of acacia honey is above 40~41°Bé, the purchase price is 12,000~13,000 yuan/t. The purchase price of vitex nectar is higher than usual. According to estimates from the Propolis Special Committee of the China Bee Products Association, sales in the national propolis market will further decline by about 90% in 2023 compared with before the epidemic. However, the purchase volume of more than 90% of royal jelly raw materials in 2023 has increased compared with 2022. Except for acacia pulp, the purchase price of other types of royal jelly has dropped by an average of about 10 yuan/kg compared with the previous year. According to the questionnaire of the Royal Jelly Special Committee of the China Bee Products Association, 60% of royal jelly companies will see an increase in sales in 2023, 30% will remain the same, and only 10% will see a decrease in sales, which shows that domestic royal jelly products The size of the consumer market is expanding.
China’s facility agriculture area accounts for 80% of the global total, of which about 20% uses biological pollination technology. The popularity of insect pollination in Beijing, Shanghai, Jilin, Zhejiang, Shanxi and other places exceeds the national average. In 2023, the development trend in the field of pollinator breeding and application will remain good, especially the bumble bee pollination industry has developed significantly. Many domestic breeding institutions and research institutes, such as the Domestic Pollinating Bumblebee Base in the Yellow Triangle Agricultural High-Tech Zone of Shandong Province, the Institute of Zoology of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, and the Sericulture Bee Research Institute of the Yunnan Academy of Agricultural Sciences, have made important progress in the domestication and breeding of native bumblebees. , and achieved a breakthrough in precision breeding technology.
With the rapid development of facility agriculture, there will be a large market demand for pollinating bumble bees in 2023. The marketization and commercialization of bumble bees is gradually expanding, and more and more bumble bees are being used to pollinate a variety of crops. At present, pollination technology has been widely used in Beijing, Shandong, Hebei, Liaoning, Inner Mongolia, Xinjiang, Zhejiang and other regions, greatly increasing the pollination area. Bumble bee pollination can significantly increase crop yield and quality. For example, tomato yield per mu can be increased by 17.6% and malformed fruit rate reduced by 9.2%; cucumber yield is increased by approximately 9.3%; strawberry fruit weight and nutrient content are significantly increased. Compared with artificial pollination, the rate of deformed strawberry fruits is reduced by 33.35%. The fruits are cone-shaped, have a sweeter taste and have higher nutritional value. These achievements have enabled the promotion of domestic bumble bee pollination technology, broken the monopoly of foreign companies on the Chinese market, and significantly reduced the cost of imported bumble bees, thus enabling more farmers to afford the use of bumble bees.
1.2 Analysis of foreign trade situation
China ranks among the world’s major exporters of bee products. From 1981 to 2020, China’s honey export volume accounted for 18.86%~30.52% of the world’s total, with an average of 22.87%. However, the export unit price of Chinese honey has always been relatively low, only 66.86% of the global average honey export price. Despite the relaxation of epidemic control at the end of 2022, the performance of China’s bee products in the international market has not recovered as quickly as expected, especially the export volume and price of honey and other products have both declined. Among them, honey export volume decreased by 8.03%, bee pollen decreased by 31.08%, and beeswax decreased by 28.51%. Only the export volume of freeze-dried royal jelly powder increased slightly by 4.4%. It is worth noting that in the EU market, the highest unit price of honey comes from New Zealand, which is as high as 27.59 euros/kg, while the lowest unit price is honey from China.
According to export data from January to November 2023, China has exported a total of 136,502t of honey to 61 countries/regions, with a total value of US$229.02 million; it has exported a total of 917t of royal jelly to 68 countries/regions, with a total value of US$29.89 million; A total of 2,077t of bee pollen was exported to 39 countries/regions, with a total value of US$8.86 million; and 306t of other bee products were exported to 46 countries/regions, with a total value of US$7.16 million.
As an important exporter of beeswax in the world, China’s data in recent years show that its international market share has declined. From January to October 2023, China exported 5,991.92t of beeswax to more than 20 countries and regions around the world, a year-on-year decrease of 28.51%, with a total value of US$28.8144 million, a year-on-year decrease of 32.27%. The average export unit price is 4.81 US dollars/kg, a decrease of 5.26% from 2022.
At the same time, with the steady growth of the national economy and the expansion of the middle class, China’s honey imports have also shown an increasing trend year by year. It is worth noting that the unit price of China’s honey imports is significantly higher than the unit price of exports. Especially during the periods 2011-2015 and 2016-2020, the ratios of honey import unit prices to export unit prices were 4.71:1 and 8.13:1 respectively. This phenomenon is not in line with normal market rules and should arouse great concern from the Chinese government and consider formulating targeted policies as soon as possible. In addition, although China’s beeswax export volume far exceeds import volume, the import unit price is much higher than the export unit price. In 2023, the total amount of beeswax imported into China reached 153.41t, a year-on-year increase of 59.18%, the total import value was US$1.4128 million, a year-on-year increase of 37.08%, and the average import unit price was US$9.21/kg, a decrease of 13.88% from the previous year.
02 Research progress in bee industry technology
2.1 International bee industry technology research progress
Research on bee biology: In the field of bee biology, the number of academic papers published has reached 210. These studies widely cover different life stages of bee colonies, seasonal changes, diversity of intestinal microorganisms, reproductive habits, and ovarian proteins. Expression patterns, phenotypic plasticity, autophagy process, larval development, and effects on non-target organs. The application of omics technology has become a prominent feature of this field, including omics analysis of Varroa mites parasitizing bees, the use of PacBio single-molecule sequencing technology, and the identification of long non-coding RNA (lncRNA) during bee development. Expression pattern studies.
Research on bee health and protection: The number of papers on bee health and protection has reached 150, focusing on key issues such as microsporidiosis, chalk disease, Varroa mite infestation and pesticide effects in Oriental bees. Research has found that a mixture of beneficial bacteria can effectively control microsporidia infections; engineering intestinal symbionts can significantly reduce the proliferation of pathogens and improve bee survival; gas chromatography-mass spectrometry technology reveals that spores changes in lipid levels caused by fungal infection; in addition, studies have shown that herbal essential oils have great potential as acaricides.
Research on facility bee pollination: Internationally, research on facility bee pollination mainly focuses on fruit and vegetable crops such as blueberries, cherries, and tomatoes. Relevant research content includes the development of preparations and compositions that promote directional pollination by bees, as well as related methodological research.
Research on the diagnosis and treatment of bee diseases: A total of 135 papers have been published on the diagnosis and treatment of bee diseases, reflecting the importance attached to the prevention and control of pests and diseases; research on bee products has in-depth discussions on their nutritional composition, biological activity, medical application value, Detection methods for antibiotics and heavy metals, as well as authenticity identification techniques. Specifically, the research addressed the potential of royal jelly in alleviating symptoms of Covid-19, the potential of propolis to prevent gastric cancer, the anti-inflammatory activity of bee products, detection technology of pesticide residues and heavy metals in honey, and the use of nuclear magnetic resonance and HPLC-UV Fingerprinting method to identify honey adulteration.
2.2 Research progress of domestic bee industry technology
In 2023, domestic bee industry technology has achieved significant development results, providing solid scientific support for the sustainable development of the bee industry in the future. Domestic bee industry technology research covers many fields such as bee biology and genetic breeding, husbandry and management, pollination, disease prevention and control, product development and economic policy.
In terms of bee biology and genetic breeding, although the number of related studies has declined, research on genetic diversity and genomics has shown a growing trend.
In 2023, thanks to the support of the bee industry technology system, experts from the post experimental station established the National Network of Bee Breeding (N2B2) in my country, including the establishment of an information website and support platform to measure bee farms, The mating farm was inspected and constructed, the breeding system framework was initially established, and a series of technical documents and materials were formed. These achievements mark the initial establishment of my country’s modern bee breeding system.
Many units such as the Bee Research Institute of the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences have made significant progress in cultivating pollinating bee species with excellent traits: the pollen collection ability of the cultivated pollinating bee species is 12.6% higher than that of local Italian bees, and the reproductive capacity is increased by 15.1%. , honey production increased by 38.1%, overwintering bee mortality decreased by 21.3%, and overwintering feed consumption decreased by 21.9%. These bee species are now widely used in field and greenhouse pollination work.
There are rich research results in bee breeding and management, and multi-box breeding has become a new research hotspot. Research on bee breeding and management mainly focuses on reducing labor input in beekeeping production, such as intensive indoor breeding methods, automated feeding, new beehives, etc. In recent years, domestic bee industry technology has gradually developed in the direction of informatization and intelligence, especially in bee colony monitoring, such as AI-based Internet of Things digital beehives, thinking on the development of smart bee industry, and wasp breeding anti-theft based on LoRa communication. detection system and digital beekeeping system based on NB-IoT technology, etc.
In the field of bee protection, the research focus has shifted from pesticides, coccidioides, and hive beetles to Oriental honey bee microsporidia and mesocystic larvae disease. The virus epidemiological survey pointed out the types of bee viruses currently prevalent in China, and confirmed for the first time the existence of six viruses including Varroa mite orthomyxovirus 1 in China, which is of great significance for the prevention and control of viral infectious diseases in bees.
The overall research on bee products has decreased slightly, but technologies such as high-performance liquid chromatography and mass spectrometry are widely used. The number of royal jelly research papers in 2023 has increased compared with the previous year. As the first author, China has published the largest number of papers in international journals. The research focuses on biological activity, chemical composition and quality control. Propolis research covers a wide range of fields, of which biological activity research accounts for 42.4%, food preservation, oral health care and other applications account for 29.18%, and chemical composition and quality control research accounts for 18.95%. The research progress of beeswax includes applications in medical treatment, packaging, gels and cosmetics, such as the effect of carbohydrates on bee colony and wax secretion properties, the preparation of capsules, ancient wax and burn ointments based on beeswax, and the use of beeswax in fruits. Applications in preservation and compounding gels, etc.
In terms of bee industry economics and policy, it discusses the current status and prospects of China’s bee industry development and rural revitalization for shared wealth, my country’s honey consumption levels, the creation of regional public brands of agricultural products, and changes in the honey market.
There were 1,051 bee-related patents in 2023, a decrease from the previous year, including 442 invention patents, 609 utility model patents, and 304 appearance patents. Bee venom-related patents have grown significantly, with the number of authorized invention patents increasing to 23.
03 Future development trends of the bee industry
3.1 The booming development of pollination industry
At present, advanced pollination technology has been widely used in Beijing, Shandong, Hebei, Liaoning, Inner Mongolia, Xinjiang, Zhejiang and other regions, significantly increasing the coverage area of pollination operations. Many provinces and cities are also actively building demonstration bases and making bee pollination a key area for promoting agricultural technology, with remarkable results. Through bumble bee pollination, the average crop yield can be increased by 15% to 40%, and the output value per mu can be increased by 2,000 to 3,000 yuan. Looking forward to 2024, the pollination industry is expected to continue to contribute economic benefits.
3.2 Comprehensive improvement of beekeeping quality
Focusing on the comprehensive development of the beekeeping industry chain, all localities focus on the cultivation of fine varieties, standardized production and industrialized operations as key points, transform and upgrade, make up for shortcomings, consolidate the foundation, and support the creation of a regional model of green and high-quality development. Local governments have explored and established long-term mechanisms to improve quality, efficiency, and integrated industrial development, steadily improved the quality and level of China’s bee industry, and achieved remarkable results.
3.3 Intelligent changes in beekeeping production
Although beekeeping is a traditional industry, it is still in its infancy in terms of intelligence. With the in-depth application of the Internet of Things and intelligent technology, beekeeping production is gradually developing in a precise direction, including basic beekeeping research, beekeeping equipment, product transportation, technical training, pollination research and other fields.
3.4 Coordinated development of bee culture and tourism
By deeply exploring the connotation of local bee culture, local governments take bee products as the core and combine the development of bee tourism to create classic brands and best-selling products. Pay attention to the comprehensive development of bee tourism, culture, recuperation, pollination, fruit and vegetable picking, and ecology, extend the industrial chain, and improve industrial efficiency in an all-round way.
In the future, the sustainable development of the bee industry requires the two-wheel drive of technological innovation and market expansion. Technological innovation plays a vital role in improving the quality and yield of bee products. For example, some research institutions and companies have begun to use advanced technologies such as biotechnology, information technology, and automation technology to improve bee breeding efficiency, disease diagnosis and prevention and control capabilities, and improve the quality and yield of bee products. These technological innovations provide solid support for the sustainable development of the bee industry. The growing demand for high-quality bee products in domestic and foreign markets has provided new opportunities for China’s bee industry to develop markets. With the growth of consumer demand for healthy food and the expansion of foreign trade, China’s bee industry is facing unprecedented market opportunities. In order to seize these opportunities, China’s bee industry needs to further improve product quality, strengthen brand building, and actively expand international markets.
04 Prominent problems and policy suggestions in the bee industry
4.1 Outstanding issues
4.1.1 Insufficient awareness of bees’ improved breeding and paid pollination
China’s bees are rich in genetic resources, providing a high-quality foundation for improvement work. However, professional large-scale bee seed companies have not yet emerged, and bee seed trading is in its infancy. Beekeepers mainly breed their own queen bees by purchasing a small number of them. According to statistics, the national transaction volume of queen bees exceeds 600,000, of which only 10% are identified or certified, and less than 30% are productive queen bees. The role of improved seed breeding and seed industry revitalization in rural revitalization is not obvious, and the lack of publicity and guidance has restricted the progress of the bee seed industry.
China’s facility agriculture accounts for more than 80% of the world’s total, and artificial assisted pollination is common. However, beekeepers and growers are not very enthusiastic about bee pollination. Most believe that insufficient pollinating bee colonies and limited awareness of paid pollination are obstacles to the development of the industry. Currently, only Beijing and other regions provide policy and financial support for pollination services.
4.1.2 Bee health is threatened
Bee health faces challenges such as diseases and pesticides, which affect the bee product market and industry sustainability. Pesticides are commonly used in cash crops, and spraying during the flowering period overlaps with the nectar-gathering period of bees, increasing the risk of poisoning. Pesticides affect bee survival and reproduction, change behavior, and impair immunity and navigation. Combined, these problems severely weaken the overall health and viability of bee populations.
4.1.3 Beekeepers shrink further
The phenomenon of obstacles to bee release in mobile apiaries caused by local protectionism is still relatively common. Various factors such as reduced honey production and the aging of beekeepers have caused some beekeepers to continue to reduce the number of bees they keep or even give up breeding. The decline in the number of beekeepers has posed a severe challenge to the beekeeping industry in some areas.
4.1.4 Insufficient corporate innovation and brand building
my country’s bee product processing industry is dominated by small and medium-sized enterprises, with large and listed enterprises scarce. The industry generally lacks an in-depth understanding of standards and intellectual property rights, and has limited innovation capabilities, which has become a bottleneck for development. Problems such as improper storage of raw materials, reduced product quality, and adulteration occur frequently, and serious technological homogeneity hinders industrial progress. Exports rely on raw materials with low added value, and technical barriers restrict the increase in export value. The selling price of domestic honey is much lower than that of imported products, partly due to consumer preference and more due to the lagging development of domestic brands and lack of characteristics. There is an urgent need to strengthen brand building and publicity, combined with combating counterfeiting, to rebuild consumer confidence and guide scientific consumption.
4.1.5 Excessive competition in the industry and quality challenges
my country’s bee products industry is facing fierce internal competition. There is an obvious opposition in the market between Italian honey and local honey, concentrated honey and mature honey, supermarket honey and honey sold directly by beekeepers. This differentiation has led to unnecessary internal friction and industry Involution. For the healthy development of the industry, the spirit of market respect, cultivation and cooperation should be promoted to jointly build a harmonious market environment.
In terms of foreign trade, my country’s bee products industry often falls into vicious competition based on low prices, resulting in continued decline in export honey prices. What is even more worrying is that product quality problems have seriously affected the reputation of my country’s bee products in the international market. For example, up to 77.5% of honey samples exported to the European market were suspected of being counterfeit products, and similar quality problems were encountered in the Japanese market. These phenomena pose a serious threat to the sustainable and healthy development of my country’s bee industry.
4.2 Policy recommendations
4.2.1 Protection of genetic resources
Attention should be paid to the selection and utilization of native bee species, publicity efforts should be increased, and national policies and scientific research forces should be combined to establish a bee gene bank and cultivate excellent bee species. At the same time, the hunting of wild bee resources is prohibited.
4.2.2 Strengthen scientific research and policy guidance
Encourage scientific research investment in the bee industry, especially in the fields of breeding, pollination, disease prevention and control; introduce relevant policies and regulations, increase public awareness, and promote commercial breeding and pollination through government support.
4.2.3 Accelerate standardization construction
Promote the standardization of the bee industry through the management and organizational capabilities of the National Standards Committee; support leading enterprises and cooperatives to drive industrial scale and intensive operations and improve production technology levels.
4.2.4 Optimize industrial structure and expand international cooperation
Adjust the bee industry, develop deep processing and high value-added products, and enhance the competitiveness of the industry chain; enterprises need to understand international market regulations, participate in the formulation of international standards, actively communicate and learn, and enhance the international influence of China’s bee industry.
4.2.5 Promote the development of intelligent bee industry
Support the application of Internet of Things technology in beekeeping, realize intelligent management, and establish a standardized, informatized, and intelligent information service model.
4.2.6 Strengthen talent construction
Strengthen the training of beekeeping talents, improve technology and management levels, and solve the problem of talent shortage in the industry.
05 Conclusion
In the context of the current complex and ever-changing global economy, the policy of “persisting in making progress while maintaining stability, promoting stability through advancement, and establishing first and then breaking” proposed by the Central Economic Work Conference is of far-reaching significance in guiding the development of all walks of life. Especially for the bee industry, this policy not only emphasizes the importance of steady development, but also puts forward the requirements for aggressiveness and innovative breakthroughs.
Currently, my country’s bee industry is facing a series of challenges such as the aging of beekeepers, homogeneous competition among enterprises, a weak consumer market, industry involution and vicious price competition. The root causes of these problems lie in the imbalance of market order and the deficiencies of enterprises in innovation, transformation and upgrading. In order to cope with these challenges, the domestic honey and other bee products industry needs to take more proactive measures, implement the “going out” strategy, integrate with the international standard system, enhance the international competitiveness of products, break technical trade barriers, and increase the additional value of export products. value. The government and industry associations should strengthen supervision, clarify and unify the standard system and testing standards for domestic and foreign bee products, and establish an efficient, coordinated, and sound national bee product standard system. Strictly crack down on illegal activities such as adulteration and counterfeiting, protect the rights and interests of consumers, and maintain market order. At the same time, the government should also increase policy support and protection for beekeeping frontline workers through legislation and ecological compensation and other measures, improve beekeepers’ income levels and risk response capabilities, thereby improving the attractiveness and competitiveness of the entire industry. In addition, market access and export thresholds should be raised, enterprises should be encouraged to upgrade production equipment, accelerate product innovation, form a market mechanism of survival of the fittest, and promote the healthy development of the bee industry.
In 2023, China’s bee industry shows good development potential. However, to achieve sustained and healthy development, we must pay attention to the existing problems and challenges in the industry, and lay a solid foundation for the long-term prosperity and stability of the bee industry through comprehensive measures such as technological innovation, market expansion, and policy support.
Source: China Animal Husbandry Magazine
