Prairie honey producers experienced the good, the bad and the ugly this year.
In Manitoba, there were areas where cool, wet weather in June and July stymied efforts of honeybees to collect precious nectar from crops like alfalfa and canola.
But there were other areas of the province where beekeepers enjoyed favourable weather and high honey yields.
The result was a total honey harvest of almost 15.5 million pounds, which is slightly above Manitoba’s average. Average production per colony was estimated at 170 lb.
“It was a very, very strange year,” said Manitoba provincial apiarist Don Dixon.
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“We had some people with big crops and other people who were very, very disappointed.”
In Saskatchewan, beekeepers came through with what could be their most valuable crop ever, despite drought in some parts of the province.
Provincial apiculturist John Gruszka expects production to total 21.5 million lb. Average production per colony was 215 pounds.
While the total honey production didn’t set records, prices are holding at above $1 per pound, which hasn’t happened in recent years.
Parts of Saskatchewan received rain at what Gruszka called the “11th hour,” giving alfalfa and canola crops the boost needed to yield adequate nectar for the bees. As well, sunny, summer weather kept bees busy in the fields.
“Because it was nothing but sunshine, the bees flew every day,” Gruszka said.
Meanwhile, the widespread drought in Alberta sapped moisture out of nectar-yielding crops, causing honey production there to drop below the provincial average.
“We didn’t get any rain, so we don’t have much honey,” said Alberta apiculturist Kenn Tuckey.
“There was no moisture to produce nectar for the bees to gather.”
Alberta typically leads honey production in Western Canada, but not this year. Production was between 16 and 17 million pounds, almost 25 percent below the provincial average.
There were pockets within Alberta where honey yields were average, but no one reported great crops, Tuckey said.
Alberta beekeepers also earned less money from bee colony rentals. The colonies are used to pollinate hybrid canola that is grown for seed multiplication by major seed companies.
The number of rented colonies in Alberta dropped to 34,000 this year from 55,000 in 1999, Tuckey said.
Renting bees for crop pollination usually pumps millions of dollars into beekeepers’ pockets.
