The problems caused by this situation cannot be solved by the normal market forces of supply and demand. If all available food were placed on the market, prices would plunge well below costs of production and many producers would quickly be put out of business. The short term approach to the problem is for governments to subsidize prices and to encourage reduced productivity. It would seem most timely, therefore, when there are indications of world honey surpluses, to consider seriously the marketing of honeybee products as a vital part of beekeeping development. Complacency in the honey market can be seen in poor packaging, inadequate advertizing, unimaginative promotion and insufficient knowledge of domestic and international market situations.
Beeswax continues to find favour in high quality furniture polish and novelty candles.
The markets for selling bee products other than honey are already established and expanding. This is largely because these products are often most attractively packaged and very well advertized to compete with similar non-honeybee products sold through the health food trade and other outlets. These products are also widely diversified in food supplements, cosmetics and medicaments. The result is that such products are finding increased demand at a time when the 'pots of honey' market is in danger of stagnating. It would therefore appear that the time has come for the honey market to be updated through product diversification, improved presentation, advertizing and co-operative marketing on a global scale.