A beekeeper defends the production of honey in Ireland and responds to claims made in a previous Newsbeat report.
John Aherne, Secretary of the Federation of Irish Beekeepers believes that a previous Newsbeat programme gave a poor impression of the production of honey in Ireland. He speaks to Cathal O'Shannon to set the record straight about Irish honey. Cathal O'Shannon defends the previous programme and statements made about the quality and colour of Irish honey.
Not all dark honey is bad honey.
John Aherne also claims that the programme inferred that there was no organisational structure for beekeeping in Ireland. He refutes these claims saying that there are twenty nine local beekeeping associations operating throughout the twenty six counties. They operate closely with associations in Northern Ireland and throughout the United Kingdom.
Newsbeat had also been critical of the price of Irish honey costing almost twice that of honey from other European countries. John Aherne claims the price differential arises because a lot of imported honey is subsidised. Changes in farming are having a negative impact on beekeeping due to the use of insecticides and the disappearance of wild flowers on which the bees depend.
Are our beekeepers just a bunch of amateurs?
John Aherne says while there are some amateur producers there are also those who produce nine and ten tonnes of honey a year. He believes that Irish honey is infinitely better than foreign honey which has been transported long distances to get here.
A Newsbeat report broadcast on 21 October 1969. The reporter is Cathal O'Shannon.
