After a winter where many beekeepers experienced large losses in their beehives, producers are once again talking about opening the Canada US border to replacement packages. Manitoba Beekeepers Association held an emergency meeting last week to see how producers feel about the issue.
Right now, Canadian beekeepers have to get replacement hives from Australia, New Zealand, and Chile because of the border closure. According to Bob Podolsky, owner of Podolski Honey Farms in Ethelbert, packages from the US are much less expensive, and the bees are younger and healthier.
It's not just the honey loss that we will suffer in Canada, but how about the pollination? For instance, the pollination in Ontario alone is worth 6.3 billion dollars.
According to Podolsky, the majority of beekeepers at the meeting were in favor of opening the border.
