Egypt's beekeeping villages stung by economic woes

Inflation, export problems and a viral video unsettle traditional honey producers

In Shabshir Al Hissa, a small village about 100km north of Cairo, beekeeping isn’t just a profession – it’s a tradition stretching back almost a century.

Passed down from generation to generation, the art of raising bees and producing honey has defined the lives of the roughly 20,000 residents of Shabshir Al Hissa and its neighbouring village, Shabshir, in Egypt’s Gharbia province.

Together, these two villages are responsible for producing over 70 per cent of Egypt’s honey and have long been regarded as the heart of the country’s apiculture industry.

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But in recent years, this once-thriving trade has faced mounting challenges that threaten its very survival.

The history of beekeeping in Shabshir Al Hissa dates back to the 1940s, when King Farouk, Egypt’s last monarch, initiated a programme to modernise apiculture in the country.

As part of this effort, a select group of beekeepers – including the grandfather of Abdel Salam Itman, a prominent beekeeper and the current head of Egypt’s beekeepers’ union – travelled to European apiaries to learn advanced techniques and bring European bees back to Egypt.

“They returned and began teaching the villagers modern beekeeping methods,” says Mr Itman, whose family has been involved in the trade ever since.

Over the decades, these techniques transformed Shabshir Al Hissa into a powerhouse of honey production, with its skilled beekeepers exporting honey and live bees – known as “packaged bees” – to countries such as Saudi Arabia.

The village is also uniquely positioned to support Egypt’s agricultural sector more broadly.

Beekeeping is a craft with a long tradition in Egypt’s Gharbia province. Mohamed Fathi / The National

Honey bees from Shabshir Al Hissa pollinate crops such as wheat, citrus fruits, and strawberries, increasing yields by up to 60 per cent, Mr Itman tells The National.

This contribution is critical to Egypt’s food security and agricultural exports, particularly in light of the country’s reliance on pollination for its top crops.

Inflation strikes

Despite its historical significance and economic importance, Shabshir Al Hissa’s beekeeping industry has been hit hard by Egypt’s recent economic struggles.

Inflation, which reached record levels in 2023, has driven up the cost of essential beekeeping supplies, from sugar to wooden hives.

“I remember when there was a sugar shortage,” recalls Mr Itman. “It felt like we were trying to secure contraband.”

The rising costs have forced many beekeepers to scale back production. Mr Itman himself has reduced the number of hives on his farm from 4,000 to just 1,000. The financial strain has also led to layoffs among workers, further discouraging younger generations from entering the trade.

“It used to be that everyone wanted their son to learn the craft because it was lucrative,” he says. “But now, they are less inclined.”

Additionally, the price of a single hive has skyrocketed from 150 Egyptian pounds ($3.10) to more than 600 ($12.50), while operational costs continue to climb. These financial pressures have led to a decline in overall honey production and a growing sense of uncertainty among the village’s beekeepers.

They also face challenges in maintaining access to global markets. Saudi Arabia, a key importer of Egyptian honey and live bees, temporarily suspended honey imports in 2022, citing concerns over health and veterinary standards.

Two villages produce more than 70 per cent of Egypt’s honey but the trade is under economic pressure. Mohamed Fathi / The National

The ban, which was lifted a few months later, was only reversed after Egypt agreed to implement stricter health measures to address these concerns.

Among the issues that led to export rejections were traces of human medications found in honey samples – an unintended consequence of the rising costs of bee-specific treatments.

“Sometimes, we are forced to use human medications like Antinal and Flagyl on bees because the proper drugs are too expensive or unavailable,” Mr Itman explains.

These substances, however, are flagged in honey quality tests conducted by importing countries, leading to bans or rejected shipments.

While the Saudi market has reopened, the episode underscored the vulnerabilities in Egypt’s honey export sector. Beekeepers like Mr Itman say they need access to affordable, specialised medications to ensure their products meet international standards and avoid future disruptions.

Blog controversy

A recent controversy involving two bloggers further highlighted the precarious state of Egypt’s honey industry and its falling reputation.

The bloggers, whose viral videos garnered millions of views on social media, tested popular Egyptian honey brands – many of which bore the state’s stamp of approval – and alleged that the honey was of poor quality.

Their tests found higher-than-acceptable sucrose levels, raising questions about what the bees were being fed. The bloggers also claimed that the honey contained lower levels of antioxidants and vitamins, further fuelling concerns about its authenticity and nutritional value.

The video's wide reach prompted Egypt’s National Food Safety Authority to issue a detailed response rejecting the bloggers' claims. It said their testing methods were not up to industry standards and that their interpretation of sucrose levels in honey was misleading. However, the hit to the industry’s reputation was undeniable.

Additionally, rising costs of production materials such as sugar and wooden hives are squeezing profits, while disputes between producers and exporters over fair pricing for live bees and honey continue to create tension, Mr Itman explains.

To revive the industry, he and other leaders in the beekeeping community are advocating for several measures, including the establishment of licensed training centres to improve the quality of honey production and diversify its by-products, such as royal jelly and bee venom.

They are also calling for increased government support, such as subsidies for production materials and greater regulation of the honey market to crack down on counterfeit products.

Efforts to open new export markets, particularly in Europe, are also seen as critical to stabilising the industry.

For nearly a century, the village has been at the forefront of Egypt’s honey industry, adapting to new technologies and weathering economic storms.

Now, as the industry faces some of its toughest challenges yet, the beekeepers of Shabshir Al Hissa are determined to keep their legacy alive – one hive at a time.