The “Islas del Delta” Group is made up of apiculturists with more than 20 years’ experience in the beekeeping industry. The Group, as such, was formally set up in 2002 in accordance with a programme to foster the development of small and medium-sized farming companies. At present, the Group benefits from technical support and follow-up and evaluation procedures provided by both the INTA (National Institute of Agricultural Technology) and the National Secretariat of Agriculture, as well as from the consulting services of specialists in veterinary and agricultural engineering. It is presently investing in increasing the number of ships and facilities to be able to manage a larger amount of honey. All production is exported.
Procedures for organic honey certification were started in 2001. A 20-ton shipment of “transition” honey was exported to England in 2002. In 2003, having completed certification procedures, shipments of full organic honey were exported to Canada and France.
In March 2003, at the “IV Expomiel Maciá” held in Maciá, province of Entre Ríos, the organic honey produced by the “Islas del Delta” Group obtained the First Prize granted to Argentinean Amber Honeys.
The apiaries are located in the 430,000-hectare island district of the Department of Victoria in the province of Entre Ríos, more precisely in the pre-delta area of the Paraná River between the cities of Victoria and Rosario (province of Santa Fe). Victoria is located 440 km north of Buenos Aires city. The area, subject to periodic flooding, is one of humid soil with rivers, streams and lagoons and an exhuberant vegetation of grasses, herbaceous plants, shrubs and trees to a maximum height of 8 meters above sea level.
The predominant species is the Criolla Bee resulting from the crossbreeding of diverse types of Apis mellifera introduced by European immigrants and the Argentine Government as from the end of the nineteenth century. Chief among the introduced species were Italian and Carnica (Carniola) Bees.
The Criolla Bee is medium-sized and dark in colour, very hard-working and relatively aggressive. It has become well adapted to the difficult conditions existing in the area. Average production is 50 kg per Langstroth hive.
In the autumn (March, April and May), the area is subject to flooding from the Paraná River. The climate is moderate and humid, with mild winters and summer temperatures averaging 28°C. Annual rainfall is 1,200 mm, with rains predominating in spring and summer. Winds are mainly from the east, mild and with occasional storms.
Because of periodic flooding, the most relevant economic activities are fishing, cattle-raising and apiculture. No crops are raised for sale and there is no forestry activity. The population density is very low: 0.02 inhabitant/sq km.
The rivers are all fresh water with many and varied fish species.
Existing conditions favour the development of a rich and varied flora and fauna with a high degree of biodiversity. There are more than 300 flora species, among them grasses, herbaceous plants, shrubs and trees. More than 80 original flora species suitable for honey production have been identified; these have different growth cycles which cover the feeding requirements of bees during the whole year except the wintertime.
Special among these is the species known as Polygonum acuminatum or “White Caa-tay”, which produces a high quality sweet amber honey (67.7 mm Pfund) which does not crystallize. Caa-tay honey has a low glucose and high fructose content (fructose/glucose ratio at 1.69). The glucose/water ratio is also low: 1.39. To be especially noted is the high proteine content: from 0.8% to more than 1.0%. It is these values that determine the low tendency towards crystallisation of Caa-tay honey. Since it is precisely liquid honey that consumers prefer, it is unnecessary to subject Caa-tay honey to physical de-crystallisation procedures.
Besides White Caa-tay, though less abundant, there are two other similar species: “Red Caa-tay” (Polygonum ferrugineum) and “Lamedor Caa-tay” (Polygonum hidropeperoides). Their nectar contribution, however, complements that of White Caa-tay, especially towards the end of the summer and the beginning of autumn.
The Entre Ríos island district in Argentina is an area where ecological conditions for the production of high quality organic foodstuffs are excellent.
Methodology of honey extractionMain access to the apiaries located on the banks of rivers and streams is by means of small boats (15 to 30 tons). The need to use boats for harvesting purposes led the “Islas del Delta” apiculturists to work jointly with the Argentine Naval Authority and the SENASA (Argentine Food Safety Board) to set up rules and regulations for the on-board extraction of honey. It was thus that the first such honey extraction facility was authorized in Argentina (Registration number S-R-M-E-I 152).
An on-board extraction room is made up of an extraction boat and a deposit boat. The latter must fulfill the conditions for transitory storage and transport of honey in 340-kg drums (net weight). These are filled at each apiary directly with no other container being used, so that the honey reaches the consumer directly from the apiary. Drums are identified with the apiary number, harvesting date, gross and net weight, drum number and the pertinent National Registry of Apiculturists code.
Apiaries are subjected to fortnightly controls during the year. Harvesting starts towards the end of December and continues all through March. Sanitary treatments as determined in the Protocol for Organic Honey Production (Certificadora LETIS S.A. – www.letis.com.ar) are implemented as from early April. Only allowed organic pesticides are used. No antibiotics whatsoever are employed.
Following are the main results of a technical study of Caa-tay honey carried out at the Centre for Apiculture Research of the University of Santiago del Estero by specialists Marcela García, Roxana Ramos and José F. Maidana.
As shown in Table 1, the percentage of humidity is higher than the 18% limit established in the Argentine Food Code, though it should be noted that the Mercosur maximum is 20%.
The protein content is high with values ranging between 0.2 and 0.6%, this being one of the reasons why Caa-tay honey does not crystallise. The diastase value is normal: the Argentine Food Code indicates no less than 8 u. on the Gothe scale. The conductivity values are typical of nectar honeys. As for sugar content, the values obtained are higher than the minimum of 65% established in the Code.
The glucose/water ratio indicates a high and significant relation with the tendency to granulation; a ratio of 2.1 or higher determines fast and total granulation, whilst values of 1.7 or lower correspond to honeys not evidencing granulation. Caa-tay honey has a glucose/water ratio of less than 1.7, the main reason why it does not crystallise.
The fructose/glucose ratio was frequently used in the past to predict a tendency towards granulation, but this has now been replaced by the glucose/water ratio (which does not require the determination of levulose or fructose values).
The main sugars in honey are fructose (average value 38.2% within a 27.3%-44.3% range) and glucose (average value 31.3% within a 22.0%-40.8% range). Caa-tay honey has low glucose and high fructose content values, so that the fructose/glucose ratio is high. It is glucose (and not fructose) that leads to crystallisation. Therefore and according to the analysis that has been carried out, it is concluded that Caa-tay honey (Polygonum sp.) constitutes an excellent alternative for the food industry and for consumers demanding liquid honey. Caa-tay honey does not require heating – a procedure which destroys vital components- since, due to its physical and chemcial characteristics, it does not crystallise.
TABLE 1 % humidity: 19.0 % protein: 1.005 U. diastase: 12.5 conductivity: 3.09 % total sugars: 78.77 microscopic analysis: scant pollen content TABLE 2 % reducing sugars: 75.92 % non reducing sugars: 2.85 % glucose: 27.35 % fructose: 46.20 fructose/glucose ratio: 1.69 glucose/water ratio: 1.39
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