Honey Exports by Brazil Grow 70% in First Half of Year

Exports of honey by Brazil remain high. In June, the country sold the equivalent of US$ 4.29 million to foreign countries, the highest monthly figure recorded in the last four years. The amount also represents growth of 3.3% as against the results recorded in May.

Compared with June last year, the honey export performance was even more positive, with growth of 129.95% in terms of value and of 41.57% in terms of weight.

Shipped volume, however, saw a slight reduction of 1.2% compared with the previous month. On the other hand, the average price of exported honey (US$ 2.58 per kilogram) attained a record high, and has been accumulating back-to-back records over the year.

The balance of honey exports in the first half of the year also remains favorable. From January to June this year, revenues from exports reached US$ 18.29 million, growth of 70.11% in comparison with the first half of 2007. Besides, a total of 8.18 tons were sold, representing growth of 19.05% over the period last year.

The figures were taken from a survey consolidated by the consultants at the Agribusiness Unit of the Brazilian Micro and Small Business Support Service (Sebrae) and national coordinators of the Sustainable Integrated Beekeeping Hub (Rede Apis), Reginaldo Resende and Lázara de Fátima Borges.

The frame of reference is the Internet-Based Foreign Trade Information Analysis System (Alice-Web) of the Foreign Trade Secretariat (Secex) at the Brazilian Ministry of Development, Industry and Foreign Trade.

São Paulo was the leading honey exporter state in the first half of the year, with a total of US$ 5.872 million. Next came the states of Ceará (US$ 2.971 million), Paraná (US$ 2.825 million), Rio Grande do Sul (US$ 2.820 million), Piauí­ (US$ 2.172 million), Santa Catarina (US$ 627,800), Rio Grande do Norte (US$ 365,200), Minas Gerais (US$ 285,100) e Maranhão (US$ 187,900).

Sebrae