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 Honey exports from Brazil have bounced back from the falling figures observed in July and August this year. The result for the month of September reached US$ 4.9 million. The volume is four times greater than that seen in the same period in 2007 (US$ 1.09 million).
Last month's numbers also represent the best monthly result in the history of the Brazilian beekeeping sector. The September revenues were only exceeded by the result for April 2004, when the country exported US$ 6.3 million.
The price of honey also rose. The average price paid was US$ 2.60 per kilogram of honey, an increase of 6.1% over the previous month (US$ 2.45/kg). The best prices were received by the states of Santa Catarina (US$ 3.04/kg) and Rio Grande do Norte (US$ 2.85/kg). Piauí, with US$ 2.39/kg and Rio Grande do Sul, with US$ 2.42/kg, were paid less than the country average.
The figures are included in a consolidated study developed by the Agribusiness Unit at the Brazilian Micro and Small Business Support Service (Sebrae) and national coordinator of the Sustainable Integrated Beekeeping Network (Rede Apis), Reginaldo Resende. The reference is the Internet System for Analysis of Foreign Trade Information (Alice-Web), a service provided by the Ministry of Foreign Trade's Foreign Trade Secretariat (Secex).
In September, exports were mainly from three states (Rio Grande do Sul, Santa Catarina and São Paulo), which answered to 85.6% of the total traded. "This concentration is due to the fact that in the region are the first honey accumulation centers qualified for exports to Europe," stated Resende.
In September, Rio Grande do Sul maintained the leadership with US$ 1.9 million exported, followed by São Paulo (US$ 1,2 million) and Santa Catarina (US$ 1.04 million). Ceará, with revenues of US$ 423,000 was the fourth exporter, followed by Piauí (US$ 133,900), Rio Grande do Norte (US$ 108,300) and Paraná (US$ 52,500).
The result is also very positive when analyzing the values for January to September this year. In the nine-month period, export revenues reached US$ 29.7 million with the sale of 12,600 tons against US$ 15.8 million and 9,900 tons in the same period in 2007.
With the end of the European embargo to Brazilian honey, Germany returned to being the main destination for country exports. In September, exports to the German market totaled 1,100 tons at a price of US$ 2.63 per kilogram, generating revenues of US$ 2.84 million.
The United States, which is no longer the main importer, was the second main market for Brazilian honey. Americans bought 755,500 kilograms of honey for a price of US$ 2.54 per kilogram, totaling revenues of US$ 1.92 million.
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