Bees killed by extreme heat, two million to relaunch

First the extreme heat, then the damage assessment. From there, the need to get businesses back on their feet immediately emerged. Two important economic solutions are coming for Sardinian beekeeping.

Over €600,000 has been allocated to compensate for the damage caused by adverse weather conditions in 2023 , along with €1.5 million to support businesses in investing and relaunching their businesses. "But now," Coldiretti clarifies, "there's no time to waste: the resources must quickly be transformed into tangible aid for companies."

"These responses are in the direction we've been pointing out and calling for for some time," emphasize President Giorgio Demurtas and Director Giuseppe Casu . "The problem the sector faced in 2023 was serious and could not be addressed by leaving some businesses out. Now that the resources are available, we ask the Region to expedite the necessary steps so they can quickly reach the beekeepers who have suffered the damage and need liquidity to restart."

The second aspect concerns businesses' ability to face the future. The latest €1.5 million intervention for the sector can support repairs for machinery, hives, transport vehicles, and hive handling equipment, as well as company structures, hives, bee packages, and queen bees. "We are pleased with this allocation," adds Casu, "but we believe we can't always wait for the damage to be done before taking action. This is why we need to look at what's happening in the climate. It's therefore appropriate that the allocated interventions also aim to support businesses in addressing the ongoing changes."

Attention is also growing for the future, especially for 2026 production, which is already showing new challenges , with significant reductions in some honey varieties. In certain areas, there are new cases of die-off, which are also recurring in recent weeks, with bees arriving very weakened after a season complicated by the intense heat. Recent heatwaves are also rekindling concerns about the condition of hives in southern Sardinia.

Coldiretti Cagliari has already received reports of difficulties and emphasized the need to monitor the situation. "This year too, we have encountered situations that impact production and the stability of businesses," the president and director conclude. "This is why we are calling for stable policies to be developed to support businesses, not just when production reductions and declines related to weather events occur."

(Unioneonline/AD)