The Prince Edward Island Beekeepers' Cooperative is receiving $63,180 under the Canada/Prince Edward Island Primary Resource Development Agreement to cost-share the importation of 650 hives of bees from New Zealand. The project will assist beekeepers and interested fruit producers to purchase and set up hives for pollination in the expanding blueberry and horticultural crops industries.
"Significant increases in blueberry and horticultural crop production in recent years have led to higher demand for bees for pollination," said Agriculture and Forestry Minister Eric Hammill. "This project will not only be of benefit to blueberry, apple and other producers, it will also result in an increase in the production of honey."
In order to provide adequate pollination for blueberry and other horticultural crops, an estimated 2000 hives will be needed this year. The number of hives used for pollination last year was approximately 1200.
This project is one of the recommendations of the Joint Pollination Committee. The committee, made up of representatives of the bee, blueberry and apple industries and the Department of Agriculture and Forestry, has been working towards improving the availability of hives for pollinating horticultural crops.
Prince Edward Island and New Zealandare two of the few areas in the world that are free of the pasasitic mites that plague honeybees. By expanding the pollination industry with imported New Zealand bees, the province will maintain its mite-free status.