Regional government grants for beekeeping came up for grabs this week amid recent concern over the future of bees in the province.
Bee keepers have until the middle of this month to ask for a slice of the honey pie, which last year amounted to around €1.8m funded by the European agricultural fund, central government and the Junta de Andalucía.
Nearly 200 bee keeping businesses in Almería province received grants last year, accounting for nearly €280,000 money which is destined to improve honey production and sales.
But despite financial aid, bee keepers are facing a growing crisis, with the bee population diminishing due to climate change, predatory pests and pesticides, according to Greenpeace.
The Almería young farmers association reported “high levels of bee mortality” over the winter last month, attributing the loss mainly to lack of rainfall.
