‘Brutal for beekeepers’: Value and volume of Alberta honey declined in 2024

December 21, 2024 Canuck

Two years ago, Eastern Slopes Honey, located southwest of Calgary, was running about 40 bee hives and supplying restaurants around the city.

But challenging conditions have forced beekeeper Bob Robertson to wind down the business.

“The drought and the winters have been brutal for beekeepers, which ultimately affects your honey availability,” said Robertson.

“We lost a lot of bees and … it wasn’t feasible to continue the way we had been.”

Data released by Statistics Canada last week suggests other local beekeepers are also under strain.

The value and quantity of Alberta-produced honey declined in 2024. Last year, natural honey produced in the province was worth $100 million. In 2024, it was worth just $75 million.

The StatsCan release said the value of honey produced around Canada declined by 24.5 per cent from 2023 to this year.

Alberta’s total honey production also saw a dip — from 36.8 million pounds last year to 33.3 million pounds this year.

Robertson said Eastern Slopes Honey kept two bee hives last winter and has continued filling and delivering smaller orders.

“[We] had to give up a lot of our customers, the commercial customers, and just end up selling out of the house.”

Bee health, imports and low prices

A range of factors have put many local beekeepers in a “tough spot,” according to the Alberta Beekeepers Commission.

Weather conditions and Varroa mite infestations have caused high honeybee colony losses in Alberta, said president Curtis Miedema.

Varroa mites are tiny, parasitic animals that attack and feed on honey bee colonies around the world.

“We have controls that we use to take care of this mite,” said Miedema. “What we’re finding is that our control products to keep the mites at a lower percentage … some of these products aren’t working anymore.”

“We’re trying all different things to keep the bees alive, but it is getting harder.”

Honey prices crashed in late 2023, according to the commission, and haven’t bounced back to previous highs.

“It’s slightly rebounded, but yeah, we’re still dealing with the effects of the depressed price,” said Miedema. “All our costs have inflated and now our product that we’re selling has actually deflated in cost.”

Large quantities of cheap, imported honey are contributing to the change in price, he said.

A row of bee hives on a green lawn with flowering trees in the background. — Declining bee health is one of the top concerns for beekeepers around the province, according to the Alberta Beekeepers Commission. (Submitted by Eastern Slopes Honey)

In 2019, Canada’s honey trade balance was $8,424,000, according to data from StatsCan. Four years later in 2023, it was −$11,088,000.

Honey imports to Alberta increased from 224 metric tons in 2023 to 779 metric tons in 2024.

Miedema wants to see stronger honey import controls to support local production.

In a statement, the Canadian Food Inspection Agency said it tests honey samples for adulteration. In 2022-23, it kept 90,000 kg of fraudulent honey out of Canada.

The agency said food importers are responsible for buying safe honey that meets Canadian requirements.

Controls are in place, according to CFIA, and no regulatory amendments for honey imports are being considered.

Eastern Slopes Honey plans to purchase more bees in the spring to increase production for 2025.

“We’ll just take it one year at a time, but I’m hopeful that this next spring will be a good one,” said Robertson. “We’ll get some more hives set up and see what happens.”

View original article here Source