The Slowdown Is Being Felt on Private Sales

“Our farm is in the moshav of Nir Banim, and it has been operating since 1955. Until 20 years ago, we had a range of different agricultural products— from trees, flowers and crops. 20 years ago, after casting about for a while, our father Yoav decided to focus on beekeeping. Today, depending on the season, we have anywhere between 350 and 450 hives, and we produce five flavors of honey— eucalyptus, wildflower, citrus, avocado and plum. We sell 70% of our produce wholesale in barrels to large apiaries, and the remaining 30% goes in jars to individual customers who visit our farm or put in group orders.

“When the coronavirus began and all through the lockdowns, we carried on working as normal because agriculture was considered a vital sector. We went out onto the land and continued to tend to the hives. During that time there were almost no sales, and our produce sat in the barrels and the jars. Luckily for us, honey has an incredibly long shelflife, so it didn’t go off. The Egyptians were even known for embalming the dead in honey, owing to its antibacterial properties.

“A significant part of our annual honey sales take place towards the holidays such as Passover and especially Rosh HaShana, which is when we really felt the downturn in the market. Our sales to the large apiaries remained steady, but there has been a drop in sales to private customers among small and medium apiaries— including ours— because it means having to physically reach us. So there was less footfall and fewer orders compared to last Rosh HaShana. People are travelling less and are more hesitant, they think twice before buying things and are generally seeking cheaper solutions and less “boutique” items. I imagine the impact of the High Holiday period will be felt in future turnover, cash flow and the end- of- year balance.”

The writer works at “Meshek Bashan” in Nir Banim. Tel: 052- 5702719.