BUCHAREST, Sept. 6 (Xinhua) -- Romanian beekeepers on Thursday called for support for bio honey production to meet the challenges of the international market.

"Bio honey production has been of particular interest to Romanian beekeepers in the last few years. It seems to be a favorable niche, and we must take measures to help those who want to do this, provided organic honey is highly sought after," Ioan Fetea, president of the Association of the Bees' Breeders in Romania, told a celebration event organized by the association on the occasion of the 60th founding anniversary.

According to him, the problems that the Romanian beekeeping is facing are the lack of research funds, the negative effects of climate change on the bee populations, the low consumption of honey and the problems created by the phytosanitary treatments. He also mentioned the lack of vocational schools and high schools to ensure future beekeepers and the destruction of native genetic resources with imported hybrids.

Data of the association showed that there are more than 100,000 bio-certified bee families in Romania, with a total honey production that exceeds 3,500 tons.

Worldwide, the U.S. consumes organic products worth over 39 billion euros, followed by Europe with a consumption of 30.7 billion euros, and China is coming up strongly by raising the appetite for bio products, said Fetea.

Romania ranks first in Europe for honey production, with over 30,000 tonnes in 2017, 13 percent of Europe's honey production.