FUNCTIONING OF SELECTED BEEKEEPING FARMS IN POLAND DURING COVID-19 PANDEMIC

Abstract

Aim: The purpose of this study was to examine the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on selected beekeeping farms, as well as to compare the experience of chosen Polish beekeepers with the impact of the pandemic on beekeeping in other countries, as shown in the literature. Methods: The study was conducted using a literature review and questionnaire interview (n = 36) among beekeepers in the Mazowieckie and Warmińsko-Mazurskie provinces according to a 5-level Likert scale. Responses on industry topics were correlated with opinions on the positive and negative impact of the pandemic on beekeeping using the Pearson correlation. Results: Approximately 60% of respondents said that the pandemic had little or even no impact on their beekeeping activities. This may have been related to the peculiarities of Polish beekeeping, which is not dependent on seasonal labor. There were also moderate correlations between negative opinions on the impact of the pandemic and a lack of contact with other beekeepers and the seasonality of production and related sales as well as between opinions on the time-consuming nature of production and the positive impact of the pandemic on the beekeeping market. Conclusions: It was stated that beekeepers proved to be more resilient to supply chain breakdowns compared to beekeeper experiences in countries such as Canada and the UK. The nature of beekeepers’ marketing channels may affect the speed with which they can sell their goods. The impact of the pandemic on Polish beekeepers has not been previously studied.