Our country is located in South America, between 30º and 35° south latitude and the meridians 53° and 58° west longitude. It borders Argentina and Brazil and has coasts to the south on the Atlantic Ocean. We have an area of 176,215 square kilometers with a total population of 3,290,000 inhabitants with a population density of 19 inhabitants per square kilometer. The territory is of vast plains with gentle hills of low altitude (maximum altitude 513 meters above sea level). The climate is temperate humid, with four well-differentiated seasons. The main economic activity of the country is agricultural and livestock production based on prairies and forestation of pines and eucalyptus. All these activities are oriented towards export. In summary, the low industrialization, the pastoral base for livestock and the low human population of the territory, make the whole country excellently suited for beekeeping.
Uruguay produces roughly 12,000 tons of honey annually, of which about 10% is consumed in the domestic market and 90% is exported. In the grassland areas, multi-floral honeys are produced, with a very good flavor and colors that can vary depending on the area and the climatic conditions of the specific year, from White to Amber (25 mm to 85 mm). In the northern and northeastern areas of the country there are extensive forests of Eucalyptus Grandis that are used by beekeepers and bees, producing large quantities of high-quality monofloral Eucalyptus honeys with colors that vary from Extra Light Amber to Amber (50 mm to more than 114 mm).
In APISUR we are beekeepers and we also acquire HONEY from trusted producers whose experience and personal knowledge allow us to ensure the quality of their product. Each tank of honey is individually identified and analyzed for humidity and color analysis. Other analyses are performed in order to comply with client and market requirements. Uruguay is a country authorized to export honey to the European Union and the United States of America as well as other destinations. Within our HONEY export process there are mandatory controls that guarantee the quality and traceability of the product along the supply chain. All HONEY exports from Uruguay, LATU (Technological Laboratory of Uruguay) grants quality certificates to each batch of honey exported stating that it was not adulterated (with sugar) and complies with the required main parameters. These are physical-chemical controls that determine if the honey complies with the classification required by Uruguay for honey to be exported. We also comply with our certifications standards such as HACCP, Organic, True Source and Fair Trade.
ORIGIN TRACEABILITY
According to National Law 18719, the National Honey Traceability System was created. This means that in Uruguay there is a mandatory, global and free traceability of all honey production.
Every honey drum is traceable to the beekeeper and the apiary.
REGISTER
Traceability allows us to know the location and trajectory of the product from the moment it is formed in the hive until it reaches the final consumer. In Uruguay, all beekeepers must be registered with the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Fisheries (MGAP), which gives them an individual identification number.
REQUIREMENTS
Beekeepers must complete an annual declaration of the total number of hives on their property and where they are geographically located. All honey production must be extracted only in Honey Facilities approved by our authorities (MGAP), which controls compliance with a series of infrastructure, technical, personnel health and sanitation requirements.
IDENTIFICATION
Uruguay has approximately 500 facilities authorized for honey extraction throughout the country. Each honey drum has an individual number and details including, the Beekeeper Number who produced the honey, in which room it was extracted and on what date. This information is officially recorded.
GUARANTEE
This process provides us with complete traceability of the honey along the supply chain, where in the event of a problem, the origin of the problem can be quickly identified and guarantees the best practices in the production chain.
OFFICIAL CONTROLS
Our Minsitry of Agriculture (MGAP) is the official entity who controls all the honey production and supply chain.