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180,000 Euros have been allotted to benefit nomadic Tuscan beekeepers, honey producers who move their hives from one place to the other according to the presence of nectar producing plants.
The money has been made available by the Tuscan Region for the 2016-2017 harvest. “This is an excellent opportunity for the many beekeepers who travel”, says Marco Remaschi, Assessor of Agriculture. “The objective is to increase the quality and the variety of production, to spread the bees over our territory to help the irreplaceable job of pollination”.
The practice of changing location increases the quantity of production, an important factor in addition to quality; not only have the various types of honey increased (millefiori, acacia, chestnut, alfalfa, tiglio, sunflower, sulla and melato the most common), but the pollen, royal jelly (from Maremma) and propolis as well, thanks to the increase of interest in this activity, particularly among young people and women entrepreneurs.
In order to acquire financing one must report the number of hives. “We ask all beekeepers”, reminds the assessor, “to adhere to this important requirement; not only to avoid fines, but because the amount of community resources in the region are shared according to the number of hives reported yearly. The higher the data, the more financing will arrive”.
The Region has been supporting beekeepers and the associations which protect them against diversity (parasites, beetles, etc.) for years. It also protects against the indiscriminate use of pesticides, insecticides, and in the fight against pollution.Recent investigation has confirmed the economic damage that agricultural production is has undergone because of the lack of bees and other pollinating insects over the last few years.