Honey harvest improves in Latvia and Estonia, but producer margins remain under pressure

Beekeepers in both Latvia and Estonia are reporting a good honey season in 2026 after a much weaker harvest last year.

In Latvia, the Beekeepers’ Association describes this year as successful and estimates that the country is capable of producing more than 2,000 tonnes of honey annually. Latvia already produces more honey than it consumes domestically, making wholesale and export conditions important for commercial producers.

The association says a purchase price of at least €3.50 per kilogram is needed for profitable production, while wholesale prices fell below €2 per kilogram last year under pressure from cheaper imported honey. Many producers therefore increasingly rely on direct sales and higher-value bee products rather than bulk honey alone.

Estonian beekeepers are also describing the 2026 harvest as above average, helped by a long foraging season. At the same time, producers there continue to report rising operating costs.

Signal: Better harvests are restoring honey volumes in Latvia and Estonia, but higher output alone is not resolving the sector’s profitability problem as producers face weak wholesale prices and rising costs.

Source: LSM / Latvian Beekeepers’ Association, 20 September 2026; ERR, 5 September 2026.