Honey Prices on the Ukrainian Market May Rise Significantly: What Are the Reasons?
9 August 17:15
Honey prices in Ukraine are set to rise due to a smaller harvest and a shortage of certain varieties. Ukrainian honey exports this year may drop to 42,000–46,000 metric tons, compared to about 50,000 metric tons in 2025. Serhiy Grynyov, president of the Ukrainian Beekeepers’ Union, told Delo.ua about this, according to "Komersant Ukrainian".
Honey Harvest and Yield Forecast
Honey harvesting is still underway in Ukraine. Due to the prolonged summer drought, harvest volumes have already been negatively affected.
Currently, most of the honey is being harvested from sunflowers; however, due to high temperatures, the plants are producing less nectar, which reduces apiary productivity, Grynyov noted.
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However, the season is not over yet. Some of the late sunflower crops are still blooming, so in certain regions, honey harvesting will continue into August, the expert explained.
Overall, the season can be assessed as good. At the same time, the final results were affected by poor overwintering of the bees and the summer drought, so honey production is likely to decline.
“The final figures will be available after the season ends, but for now, the harvest is projected to decrease by about 10% compared to last year,” said the president of the Beekeepers’ Association.
The 2025 honey harvest was poor and significantly below average.
“Last year’s harvest also yielded a smaller honey harvest. This year’s honey is being used for domestic consumption, and there is enough of it,” said Grynyov.
Will There Be Enough Honey for Export?
Despite the smaller harvest, Ukraine will most likely retain the ability to export honey.
Beekeepers are ready to sell their products to exporters if the purchase price is at least as high as last year’s.
Export volumes may decline slightly. While Ukraine exported about 50,000 metric tons of honey last year, this year—given the current harvest situation—honey exports are projected to range between 42,000 and 46,000 metric tons, according to the president of the Beekeepers’ Union.
However, some beekeepers have not yet sold their remaining stock of last year’s honey, hoping for higher prices. This is due to a certain shortage developing in both domestic and foreign markets.
In addition to weather factors, the industry continues to be affected by martial law conditions, which complicate the operation of apiaries.
How will purchase and retail prices change?
The purchase price for honey currently stands at 85–90 UAH, while beekeepers expect representatives of export companies that buy honey in bulk to raise it to 125–130 UAH/kg, Grinyov said.
“Prices have stabilized, but certain varieties of honey may become slightly more expensive due to shortages. For example, acacia honey is already selling at retail for 500–600 UAH per liter, depending on the region,” the expert explained.
Grinyov predicts that certain varieties of honey may rise in price by approximately 50 UAH per kilogram.
The cost of producing honey varies significantly depending on the size of the apiary. For example, the transportation costs for 10 and 30 bee colonies may be practically the same, since the same vehicles, fuel, and labor hours are used.
However, in the first case, these costs are spread across only 10 colonies, while in the second, they are spread across 30. That is why smaller apiaries have higher production costs, explained the president of the Beekeepers’ Association.
For many owners of small apiaries, beekeeping is a source of supplemental income. In contrast, large professional operations carefully calculate all costs to determine the minimum price at which production remains profitable, he noted.
According to Grynyov’s assessment, a purchase price of about $2 per kilogram is the critical threshold. At that price, apiaries are effectively breaking even or even operating at a loss.
In recent years, fuel, electricity, wood for making hives, equipment, and other materials have become significantly more expensive, so these costs must be offset by the selling price of honey.
Therefore, beekeepers are not willing to sell their products below this threshold, Grynyov added.
“A price of more than $6 per kilogram of honey is profitable and will ensure the apiary’s development,” the expert said.
What Is Needed for the Industry’s Development
Exporters have an important role to play; they must more actively seek out markets where Ukrainian honey can be sold at a higher price. After all, exporters also bear the costs of processing and logistics and set their own profit margins.
Among the promising markets for Ukrainian honey, Grynyov specifically mentions Asian countries.
In addition, Ukraine needs to develop domestic honey processing. Instead of exporting raw honey in barrels, the country should sell the finished, packaged product—in glass jars or other consumer packaging. This will allow Ukraine to promote its own brand, increase the added value of its products, and generate greater revenue, Grynyov concluded.
The leading honey producers and processors in Ukraine include:
⦁ Ascania-Pack—the largest national honey processor and exporter. The company leads in terms of production volume.
⦁ Beehive—the company is part of the EFI Group investment holding, and its production facilities are located in the Cherkasy region.
⦁ Sviy Med—a Ukrainian family-run apiary and online store for organic honey that has been operating since 2010.
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