Produção, comercialização e exportação de produtos apícolas: uma análise do desempenho da região nordeste brasileira

Brazilian beekeeping has gained prominence since the introduction of the Apis mellifera bees from Africa, a process that led to the hybridization of European species already existing in the country. The crossing between these species of bees promoted a wide spread of subspecies throughout all regions of Brazil, which were adapting to adversities, becoming resistant and more productive. In the Northeast region, the subspecies of bees resulting from hybridization, Africanized bees, adapted very well to the conditions of hot climate and Caatinga vegetation, starting to promote extra income to farming families through the practice of rational beekeeping. In this context, the article proposes to carry out a survey of the performance of the Brazilian northeast region in relation to the production, commercialization and export of bee products. For that, a bibliographic and documentary research was used, carried out from the databases of the Online Electronic Scientific Library (Scielo) and CAPES/MEC Journal Portal. Based on the analysis of the data obtained, it was evident that the Northeast region of Brazil stands out in the production, marketing and export of bee products, with honey as the main product, only behind the South and Southeast regions. Honey from the Northeast presents immeasurable quality due to the low level of chemical residue contamination, which allows for a high level of international competitiveness. For a constant growth of beekeeping in the Northeast, investment in research and development of technologies for the agro-industrial management of the beekeeping chain is necessary.