Beekeepers stung by losses, ask province for help

Industry turns to government after another devastating spring and summer

Alberta’s beekeeping industry is hoping for help from the province after consecutive years of rough weather has contributed to low honey crops and losses over winter.

The past two winters have seen Alberta beekeepers taking a loss of $20 million, and this year’s cold, wet spring and summer saw 67 per cent of beekeepers suffering crop losses of 50 per cent or greater.

“Another year of honey losses to the extent that there was this year I think would be devastating for many,” said Connie Phillips, executive director of the Alberta Beekeepers Commission, which represents 178 commercial beekeepers.

The commission collects beehive counts from the province every fall, and the numbers show a large drop in hives.

“I think we’re sitting at maybe 291,000 hives,” Phillips said. “Last year, we were sitting around just over 300,000. So we’re already seeing a drop in hive numbers. And we’re already seeing a drop in producer numbers.”

In August, the commission conducted a survey to see which of the producers were using either crop insurance, overwintering loss insurance or Agristability.

“Many years ago, a lot of our producers used these programs. And currently, there’s only about a 20 per cent, 25 per cent use of any of these programs,” said Phillips.

“The main reason why is they’re not designed well for or work well for the current industry.”

If only 20 per cent are insured against losses, said Phillips, it could be devastating and have a ripple effect.

Alberta bees contribute more than $67 million to the province’s economy. The industry also buys about eight per cent of the province’s sugar beet crop to get the bees ready for winter and early spring.

Bees also impact the province’s hybrid-canola industry which relies 100 per cent on them for pollination, Phillips said.

Beekeepers and farmers will also have agreements for incidental pollination, where hives are placed everywhere to help with pollination.

There are also byproducts such as wax and honey packers that would be affected as well.

“There’s this huge ripple effect throughout the entire provincial landscape if there aren’t as many bees, or they aren’t as healthy as they have been in the past,” Phillips said.

In light of the losses the industry is seeing, the commission met with Minister of Agriculture and

Forestry Devin Dreeshen to discuss the state of the industry in October.

“I think that he heard everything that we had to say,” Phillips said. “But there’s been no forthcoming answers ... But the longer it goes on, the more at risk the industry is.”

However, Phillips said Dreeshen did make a commitment to examine the insurance programs.

In an emailed statement, Dreeshen said this year was tough for farmers.

“Excess moisture in certain regions limited this year’s harvest and increased input costs. The Agriculture Financial Services Corporation (AFSC) has a suite of programs and partners with farmers to help manage their business risk,” the statement read.

“AFSC exclusively offers the honey insurance program and the bee overwintering insurance program to help Alberta beekeepers.

“AFSC constantly reviews program efficiencies and encourages producers to recommend more effective ways the government can

Another year of honey losses to the extent that there was this year I think would be devastating for many.

help manage business risk.”

Phillips said there was a conversation with AFSC, and their numbers showed the same decline in beekeepers using the three insurance programs.

Phillips said AFSC has committed to reviewing the crop and overwintering loss insurance programs and looking for ways to improve how they operate and better reflect the current industry.

As for direct compensation for losses from the province, Phillips said there wasn’t a flat-out “no,” but they didn’t receive a “yes” either.

She said they’re holding out hope, but with cuts constantly announced from the province, there may not be an excess of funds.

“I don’t know that we’ll see the full impact of the loss of honey production and the two previous years of higher than normal overwintering losses until the spring,” Phillips said.

“The concern that was raised is if going into winter, beekeepers have to cut corners because they don’t have enough finances available to prep their bees in the right way, we might see again another winter of high overwintering loss.”