| |
Purpose of Survey
In order to address some of the data gaps and information needs of the beekeeping industry in Alberta, each year, the Statistics and Data Development (SADD) Unit conducts a survey of beekeepers in the province. In particular, the survey is used to assist in the generation of provincial and regional estimates for selected honey variables (e.g. colony numbers, yield, production, etc.). Information captured from the survey includes data on colony numbers, yield, production and prices, and constitutes the basis for the estimates. These are used with information from other sources, to derive the provincial and regional estimates. Furthermore, estimates generated at both provincial and regional levels, along with the survey results, are shared with survey participants, industry and other stakeholders. As well, the provincial estimates on production, yield and colony numbers are forwarded to Statistics Canada, as part of a federal/provincial agreement, for incorporation into the honey statistics at the national level.
This report focuses on the results of the Alberta 2002 Beekeepers' Survey and the related estimates generated.
Methodology
The Alberta Beekeepers' Survey, which is provincial in scope, collects data through a non-probability sampling procedure. In October 2002, survey questionnaires were mailed out to 618 beekeepers across the province. The questionnaires specifically asked survey participants to provide, at their earliest convenience, information on colony numbers, production, yield, bee purchases, prices (expected/actual), carry-over stocks and selected management practices, for their related beekeeping operation in 2002.
Survey participants were made aware that participating in the survey was voluntary. Moreover, all individual responses are kept confidential under the provisions of the Federal Statistics Act, as well as under the Provincial Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy (FOIP) Act, by which the SADD Unit is governed and operates. In return for their participation, survey participants who were interested, were given the Unit's publication highlighting the results of the 2002 Beekeepers' Survey, the related provincial and regional estimates, and selected historical honey statistics. As of February, 2003, a total of 230 usable questionnaires were received and formed part of the basis in the generation of the Alberta 2002 honey production estimates.
Survey responses received were reviewed for data completeness, validated and entered into an electronic database. The data was then subjected to some computerized analyses, the results of which were rolled up into group summaries, to preserve data confidentiality of individual survey respondents. In turn, the group summaries, in conjunction with consultations with industry and Alberta Agriculture, Food and Rural Development (AAFRD) subject area/provincial specialists were used to generate provincial and regional estimates on the number of producers, colonies, yield and production.
It should be noted that the derived estimates are subject to error. Some of the possible causes of error include data coding, data entry, editing and tabulation. Nonetheless, we believe that the statistics published in this report are reliable estimates for Alberta.
Highlights
The following are the survey highlights based on 107 producers in Alberta who participated in both the 2001 and 2002 Beekeeping Surveys. For more detailed information, please refer to Table 1.
Paired Sample Highlights:
- In 2002, producers bought more queen packages/nucs than in 2001. Purchases increased roughly 63 per cent, with the average producer buying 52 packages/nucs, compared to 32 in 2001. Of the total purchases, roughly 1 per cent was sourced domestically from Alberta, with the balance imported.
- All of the queen packages purchased in 2002 were imported from Australia (95%) or New Zealand (5%). Producers sourced 91 per cent of their nuc purchases being imported from British Columbia, with the balance being sourced locally in Alberta. This is a sharp contrast to 2001 when all purchases of nucs were sourced in Alberta.
- Like the year before, all of the imported package purchases in 2002 came from two sources, namely Australia and New Zealand, with the former accounting for the bulk (94.6%) of imports. The Australian imports increased roughly 8 per cent from the 2001 distribution. This is likely attributed to a price effect because the average price per package purchased from Australia decreased in 2002 from 2001, while the New Zealand price increased. The average price of a two pound package from Australia was $66.04, while for New Zealand it was 13.8 per cent higher at $75.13. As alluded to earlier, almost all of the nucs purchased in 2002 were from British Columbia. The average nuc price in British Columbia was $89.00 for 2002. Alberta nuc prices increased sharply in 2002, with the average price of a nuc at $104.55, compared to $76.63 a year earlier. The Albertan price increase could be attributed to a reduction in supply caused by the drought, thus encouraging nuc imports from British Columbia.
- "Individual" queen purchases in 2002 increased 1.3 per cent, with the average producer purchasing 173 queens, compared to 170 in 2001. Nearly all of the queen purchases continue to be sourced from outside the province (99.3%), with less than one per cent being of Alberta origin. Hawaii remains the primary source of imports, accounting for 94.3 per cent of the total, while British Columbia is second with 3.9 per cent of individual queen imports.
- Individual" queen prices were higher in 2002, than in 2001, for all regions sourced. Average queen prices in 2002 ranged from $14.62 - $19.29, depending on place of purchase. Prices were the highest in the region "other" at $19.29 per queen, followed by New Zealand ($16.24), and Australia ($15.62). Alberta had the lowest price at $14.62, with Hawaii next, at $14.73 per queen.
- The percentage deathloss for queens purchased in packages and nucs increased in 2002 to 9.6 per cent, compared to 3.5 per cent a year earlier. An upward trend was also noted for individual queens purchased, with the average deathloss rising to 7.6 per cent, compared to 7.3 per cent in 2001.
- For those producers raising queens in 2002, the average number raised was 40. Most of the queens raised were for personal use. Regionally in the province, queen raising was most predominant in the Central Region, accounting for 65.8 per cent of the total raised. This was followed by the North West, Peace and South Regions with 17.3 per cent, 16.3 per cent, and 0.6 per cent, respectively. No queen raising was done in the North East.
- There was more honey in inventory in 2002, than a year earlier. Producers on average had 953 pounds on hand, compared to 755 pounds in 2001.
- Alberta continues to be the place of choice when it comes to over-wintering active colonies. Data from the paired sample show the province accounting for all of the hives over-wintered in 2002.
- "Outdoor" over-wintering remains the norm in Alberta, accounting for close to 87 per cent of the total colonies over-wintered.
- The average beekeeper on survey in 2002 had about 18 years of beekeeping experience. Years of experience in over-wintering both "indoor" and "outdoor" were lower, at roughly nine and fourteen years, respectively.
- Producer prices received in 2002 for honey were higher than expectations. The average price realized for retail honey was $ 174.81 per cwt, 9.1 per cent higher than their expected price of $160.19. The realized price for wholesale honey was $101.55 per cwt, rising $5.68 per cwt above the expected price of $95.87. Expected honey prices in 2002 are $198.51 per cwt wholesale, and $219.40 per cwt retail.
Honey Production in Alberta
The estimated number of beekeepers in Alberta declined in 2002. There were roughly five per cent fewer beekeepers in the province at 702, compared to 739 in 2001 (see Tables 2 and 3). At the national level, preliminary estimates show the number of beekeepers in Canada falling by 2.4 per cent, to 8,884 compared to 9102 in 2001. Currently, Alberta accounts for about eight per cent of the beekeepers in Canada, and roughly 14.5 per cent of the estimated Western Canadian total of 4,827.
While producer numbers declined in 2002, colony numbers in Alberta were the same as in 2001. There were 227,000 colonies, which matches the new industry record high from 2001. Nationally, colony numbers decreased roughly 2.8 per cent to 585,683, compared to 602,328 in 2001. It is interesting to note that despite Alberta having about eight per cent of the nation's beekeepers, the province had more than one-third (38.9 %) of the honey producing colonies in Canada.
Alberta produced more honey in 2002 than was earlier estimated. Final estimates indicate total production at 29.7 million pounds, compared to the preliminary fall estimate of 24.1 million pounds. The marked increase in production was the result of a higher than expected provincial average yield of 131 pounds per colony, which is the highest for the province since 1998. This is a wonderful result considering much of the province experienced "drought-like" conditions in 2002. The 2002 provincial production is the highest since the peak of 38.3 million pounds in 1998, and 10.8 per cent higher than the 26.8 million pounds in 2001.
Based on the earlier spring estimate, Canadian honey production in 2002 decreased to 73.4 million pounds, from 78.0 million pounds a year earlier. However, with the marked revision in Alberta's production, along with revisions from other provinces (if any), final production figures for Canada should climb in 2002, to somewhere approaching 79 million pounds. If materialized, this will again result in Alberta accounting for roughly over one-third of the nation's honey production.
Regionally in Alberta, honey production in 2002 was highest in the Peace Region (see Table 4). This Region produced roughly 10.4 million pounds of honey, or 34.9 per cent of the total provincial production of 29.7 million pounds. The North West Region closely followed with production of roughly 10.2 million pounds (34.3%), followed by the North East Region with roughly 4.6 million pounds (15.4%). The Central Region had the lowest production at roughly 1.3 million pounds (4.2%), while in the South it was 3.3 million pounds (11.2%). It cannot be over emphasized that honey production on a regional basis is directly tied to colony numbers and yield, hence, explaining the variance among Regions.
Acknowledgements
The Statistics and Data Development Unit of Alberta Agriculture, Food and Rural Development (AAFRD) gratefully acknowledge and thank the many producers who participated in the Alberta 2002 Beekeepers' survey. Without their participation, this report would not have been possible.
As well, we wish to acknowledge and thank several staff members of Alberta Agriculture, Food and Rural Development (AAFRD), including Roy Larsen, Maureen Wenger, Melodie Mynzak, Reynold Jaipaul, Shukun Guan, Pat Fulton, Medhat Nasr, Nabi Chaudhary, Brenda Kerychuk, and Gail Atkinson for their contributions to this report.
For additional copies of this report, please contact:
Statistics and Data Development Unit
Alberta Agriculture, Food, and Rural Development
#302, 7000-113 Street
Edmonton, Alberta
T6H 5T6
Phone: (780) 427-4011
For a complete copy of this report download the .pdf file above.
The contents of this page are no longer available.
|
|