Beekeeping in Portugal is an agricultural activity that over the past years has
seen a reduction in the number of registered operators. However, this behaviour is
not the result of abandonment, as found in general for other agricu lture activities,
but is due to an increase of beekeepers professionalism, as evidenced by the steady
number of registered hives. The decrease in the number of beekeepers refiects the
actual disappearance of hobbyists and those farmers who practiced beekeeping as a
complementary rural activity (low number of hives / beekeeper) and the appearance
of new operators, wi th higher numbers of hives, where the economic result of beekeeping
reflects its core profit.
