Lacis Honey Days Boosts Italian Beekeeping with 30,000+ Visitors
Record-breaking edition for the “honey days”. The confirmation of the excellence requirements that the traditional Lacisian showcase boasts in favor of beekeeping for Italian agriculture came from the passionate honey-loving public.
Beekeepers, in particular, arrived on the shores of Lake Garda from all over Italy and various European countries, thus confirming the international significance of the Venetian event. A total of over 30,000 people, as cautiously stated by the organizers, visited the trade fair over the three days of the Exhibition-Market and participated in the technical-scientific meetings held within the Centro congressi La Meridiana.
Topics Covered and Participating Regions
The protection of product quality, the role of associations, and bee genetics were the main topics discussed during the three scheduled meetings. The regions most represented were Piemonte, Lombardia, Emilia-Romagna, Friuli Venezia Giulia, and Toscana, but organizers also received busloads from Marche, Abruzzo, and Liguria.
Sardinia and Sicily, two regions leading for certain honey varieties classified as rare, registered a modest but significant presence of beekeepers, confirming the “black year” for Italian production. The renowned Eucalyptus honey, the sought-after “bitter honey,” and Sulla honey will, this year, be a real “treasure hunt” for enthusiasts, as confirmed by Francesco Sanna, the Agriculture and Environment Councillor of Guspini.
Presence and Innovations of the Edition
The Lazise event has always attracted large crowds throughout its sixteen years of activity, with a steady average attendance of 25,000 visitors. This year, surpassing 30,000 visitors—a very significant figure for a niche sector like beekeeping and honey—the exhibition has become, as emphasized by beekeepers and industry experts, “the largest honey exhibition in Europe.”
The confirmation of the path taken toward a European dimension also came from requests made by some Hungarian beekeepers who signed up for the next edition of the event. Hungary, one of the world’s leading honey producers, joins Argentina and China in this regard.
Competitiveness and Variety of Italian Honeys
In this context, however, Italy’s production does not shy away from comparison. While other countries may excel in sheer quantity, Italy remains the country with the best quality production. It has been widely discussed the need to start talking more accurately about “Italian honeys” rather than just “honey from Italy,” as Italy boasts the highest variety, exceeding 50 different types.
The success of this edition, the natural evolution of a development long pursued, and numerous suggestions from exhibitors are leading the Lacisian municipal council to decide on making the event annual. This has been a long-standing consideration on the agenda.
