Number of beekeepers in Slovakia highest in two decades

The number of beekeepers currently in Slovakia is the highest in the past 20 years, with Slovakia one of the few EU-member countries to see this figure grow, partly due to comprehensive state support, the Agriculture Ministry said on Thursday. "We now have more than 19,150 beekeepers registered on [Slovakia's] territory, with more than 305,000 hives. Meanwhile, there were 100,000 hives fewer and 5,000 beekeepers fewer ten years ago," said Agriculture and Rural Development Minister Gabriela Matecna (Slovak National Party/SNS).