Canadian honey production this year
increased by 11.4 per cent and is worth $232 million, reports Statistics
Canada.
"The industry is successful and
is growing. It really is a positive message," says Rod Scarlett, executive
director of the Canadian Honey Council.
The number of bee colonies increased
by 3.6 per cent, largely due to milder temperatures last winter that reduced
losses, mainly in the Prairies.
Scarlett said Canada is doing better
than other countries where bee populations are declining.
"We have been one of the few
areas that stand out, in part because the beekeepers are more well versed in
best management practices and how to handle problems that crop up."
Those problems include controlling varroa
mites. The Canadian Honey Council is also working on an action plan with the
federal government to promote bee health including ways to reduce pesticide
exposure in and outside the hive.
The Ontario Beekeepers Association is
far more strident, especially in fingering neonicitinoid seed-treatment
pesticides for bee deaths.
Scarlett said the biggest challenge
facing the industry is competition from Argentina for the key United States
market.
Argentina has also had a large crop
this year.
Canada exports up to 70 per cent of
its production, mainly to the U.S. Alberta is the leading producer.
