Maryland beekeepers are rallying around a bill Wednesday afternoon that would set a standard for honey sold in the state.
“Maryland has no definition of what honey is, so anyone can put anything in a jar and call it honey,” said David Morris, who keeps bees in Laurel. “It looks like honey, but in fact it’s high fructose corn syrup. It’s consumer fraud.”
Under the new bill, only pure honey could be labeled as such.
Wayne Esaias, a former oceanographer for NASA and current president of the Maryland Beekeepers Association will be testifying at the hearing because he wants to protect Maryland beekeepers who produce pure, unadulterated honey.
“It’s an honest product and a state definition would help us keep it that way,” he said.
The honey industry is faced with a plethora of challenges that make it difficult to make a living at beekeeping. Honey imported from China and elsewhere is often cut with corn syrup, undercutting the price of pure honey, and increased pesticide use on farms has beekeepers losing large percentages of their colonies, said Dean Burroughs, a full-time beekeeper in Salisbury.
Thirty percent of bees died nationally last year from all causes, according to a survey conducted by the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the Apiary Inspectors of America.
“Not a lot of legislators in Maryland understand the trials and tribulations of beekeepers,” Esaias said.
Keeping Maryland beekeepers in business is also important for Maryland agriculture because bees are needed to pollinate the state’s crops.
“It takes over a million hives for the U.S. almond crop alone,” said the bill’s sponsor, Delegate Kathy Afzali, D- Frederick. “It’s very important that we protect our agriculture and our beekeepers, and the honey bill is the first step.”
Rather than create a new board to regulate the honey industry, the bill would give power to honey producers and consumers.
“It gives us legitimate right to sue those who produce adulterated honey,” Esaias said. “We’re a shoestring industry. If they make us test every batch, we’d be out of business.”
HB 159, cross filed with SB 193 was heard in the House of Delegates last year, but went back to the drawing board for technical errors.
“Last year it flew through the House, but got tabled in the Senate for technical errors,” said Esaias. “It didn’t involve the beekeeping community … this is a better bill.”
By MALI KRANTZ
Joe Diamond says
These guys are good!
Their government guys get things done. Mess with the bee keepers and get stung!
I recently got word that DOT is now banning the use of cell phones in trucks. Truckers need to be constantly vigilant while running up and down the roads. Sure, why not? But guess who is exempt…bee keepers..and several other groups with equally good government guys.
They run the same eighteen wheel rigs but because of their government guy…..cells are ok for the bee movers…and a few others.
Joe
Michael Troup says
The honey bill doesn’t care. Honey bill takes what it wants.
Joe Diamond says
Ah?
Rather than create a new board to regulate the honey industry, the bill would give power to honey producers and consumers.
Are there not already several fed & state agencies with the task of doing this? What the MD Department of Agriculture will not do the Food & Drug Administration would love to do. There atre product patents and copy rights on their formulae. The same trade organization that is running this bill could just test market the major chain stores.
On weekends they could also check the roadside stands.
The bee pollination is the important thing here anyway. There are more important issues with that. Farm chemical applicators are a major suspect…… those guys have better government guys, bet ya!
joe