Agriculture Minister Marija Vuckovic and representatives of the Croatian Beekeeping Federation on Friday held a meeting on steps to strengthen apiculture in Croatia, the ministry said in a press release on Saturday.

The press release quotes the federation’s representatives as expressing satisfaction with the cooperation with the agriculture ministry, notably with assistance and funds provided to offset the damage caused by mass deaths of bee colonies this spring.

They are also glad to see a 60-percent increase in the 2023-2027 strategic document’s envelope for beekeepers. Under that scheme, HRK 28.5 million per year in the said period is made available.

The ministry has reassured beekeepers about taking further measures aimed at better supervision and control of the quality of the honey put on Croatia’s market and the promotion of Croatian honey.

Concerning a draft of new beekeeping rules, which has been put to public consultation, Minister Vuckovic said she would consider all the suggestions and objections.

Recently the opposition Bridge party held a round table on this topic and participants said that the new rules would be detrimental to beekeepers and bees.

If adopted in the proposed form, the new rules will result in the closing of many honey farms because they are not in a position to relocate, beekeeper Sasa Boric from Vrbovsko said at that round table event.

Earlier on Saturday, Social Democrat MP Domagoj Hajdukovic criticised the new rules which, he said, would enable the Croatian Beekeeping Federation to have a monopoly.

Upgrade of phytosanitary information system

During Friday’s meeting between Minister Vuckovic and the Beekeeping Federation, topics in relation to the upgrade of the phytosanitary information system and measures which should be taken to protect bees were also discussed.

The federation’s leader Drazen Kocet told Hina today that they were satisfied with the five-hour-long meeting and that the minister promised to consider all the proposals made by the federation.