Tag Archives: Day of the honey bee

B.C. celebrates Day of the Honey Bee

VICTORIA – Honey bees may be tiny creatures, but their work has a big $200-million impact on farming in British Columbia.  That’s why the Province is declaring May 29 Day of the Honey Bee in B.C, announced Minister of Agriculture Don McRae today in the Legislature.

Honey bees have been an important part of B.C. agriculture since they were introduced to the Americas by European settlers hundreds of years ago.  Today, honey bee colonies remain critical to many of the crops British Columbians rely on for food, such as tree fruit, berries, and canola, and their impact on the economy is impressive:

• Approximately $200 million in agricultural production is dependent on honey bee pollination every year in this province.  Across North America that number rises to $16 billion per year.
• An estimated 30,000 honey bee colonies are contracted to pollinate food crops on B.C. farms every growing season.
• Pollination activities are worth approximately $2.4 million annually to B.C. beekeepers. Continue reading →