China starts exporting honey again

The world's largest producer of honey has just re-started exports to Europe after three years following the EU ban. Chinese honey had been found to contain antibiotics. The EU actually agreed to lift the ban last July.

Although production has continued to rise the number of bee colonies in China has declined in the past few years from a high of 6.5 million to around 5.7 million in 2001. This decrease, Access Asia says, is due to the introduction of smaller beehives and reduced choice of bee yards. Additionally, many agricultural co-operatives have shifted from honey production and bee cultivation following the poor harvests of 1998 and looked for more high-margin products.

Now what will happen to honey prices in the shops?