Pollination: Strategic Planning

This strategy has been produced by the Strategic Pollination Group which formed under a project supported by the National Beekeepers' Association.

Vision

A robust bee keeping industry able to provide optimal pollination services to a diverse range of horticultural and arable crops.

Overview

• Providing honey bees during flowering to pollinate crops is one of the various income streams available to New Zealand beekeepers.
• For some horticultural and arable crops, the presence of these pollination hives is critical to the development of an economically viable crop. The New Zealand kiwifruit industry, for example, worth approximately $1 billion FOB annually, would not be able to produce these returns without the introduction of honey bees.
• It is estimated that there are approximately 2,700 beekeepers in New Zealand managing 293,000 colonies. Of this number, approximately 140,000 colonies are available and/or suitable for pollination.
• Currently there are sufficient hives available to meet the needs of those relying on them for pollination.
• Given assumptions on future beekeeper decisions, threats to honey bee colonies and assumptions on increased demand for pollination hives it is highly probable that there will not be sufficient hives available to meet the demand – an estimated deficit of 72,000 hives by 2015 is considered likely. This is discussed in more detail in a briefing paper written as a part of this project available through http://www.pipfruitnz.co.nz/.
• This document was prepared following a meeting of interested parties,including beekeepers and those reliant on hives for pollination, in May 2006 to address this looming shortfall in hive supply.
• Funding for this strategy has been provided by MAF Sustainable Farming Fund and others. http://www.maf.govt.nz/sff/about-projects/search/05-075/index.htm.

  Read the Pollination Strategy ...

  Strategic planning for pollination needs in export crops

  The project is being run by the Strategic Pollination Group which aims to develop a strategic pollination industry plan that reconciles forecasts on the supply and demand for bee pollination resources over the next 5 years. We will identify risks and opportunities and provide baseline information, in association with Best Practice Guidelines (BPGs), to manage future pollination requirements. The resultant strategic plan will be relevant to all pollination sector participants, not only allowing the bee industry to identify pollination needs but also the research priorities needed by the bee industry and users to support the goals of the strategic pollination industry plan.

  The Issue:

  Horticulture and beekeeping pollination sectors are working together to identify and promote a viable and strategic approach to the pollination industry to ensure continued access to this resource.

  In particular the group will address the issues of a potential for shortage of hives for pollination services for key horticultural crops due to a number of reasons (e.g., Varroa, increasing demand for hives, labour shortages). The opportunity is to coordinate the needs of all the users of beekeeper's services to ensure enough hives will be available.

  The Context:

  The $2billion plus p.a. horticultural industry in NZ is reliant on bee induced pollination for all major export crops. There is currently no viable artificial pollination system available and the reliance on (mainly honey) bees for this role is key into the foreseeable future. Current supply of hives for pollination is largely an ad hoc arrangement amongst 'pollination groups' within each region with little apparent coordinated structure.

  Methods:

  Initially we will prepare a briefing paper that collates the supply issues:

  • Trends in hive numbers since the arrival of Varroa
  • Quantify competition for hive uses (honey production)
  • Quantify risks for beekeepers to be involved in pollination hive supply (labour availability, competition, causes of hive deaths including poor management, decreasing availability of flowering weeds as pollen sources, poisonings and Varroa) and identify what needs to be done.
  • Current pollination hive numbers

  And on a regional basis, determine the demand:

  • projected demands for pollination hives by crop
  • timing of hive requirements (by crop, including manuka)
  • risks of demand due to crop surpluses or crop failure

  The briefing paper will form the basis of a national pan pollination industry strategic planning workshop. The outcomes of this strategic planning workshop(s) will be a national pollination industry strategic approach to the next 5 years and a frame work to move forward beyond that period. It will identify areas of concern to be addressed and identify responses to address them.

  Draft Best Practice Guidelines will be developed and trialled in HB in the spring of 2005. They will be prepared with all sectors involved in the industry in that region and distributed by the group via sector pathways. Some sectors already have these available and this project will ensure wide distribution and adoption of them.

  • The horticulture industry sections will include issues such as best hive positioning; hive to area ratios; hive care including issues related to spraying; orchard floor management; procedures re poisonings
  • The beekeeper section will include issues related to pest and disease management; resistance management; bee nutrition and hive quality; procedures re poisonings; ensuring sufficient numbers of hives to meet projected demand.

  Additionally, for the HB fruit industry a hive location system will be developed and worked between growers and the beekeepers involved in pollination to better delineate sensitive spray areas for growers.

  HB is being used as the trial sight as the region has tree, vine and cane crops in continuous flower from mid July through to mid February annually and post bloom management of some crops is not compatible with bee activity. This long flowering period also has implications for the beekeepers with respect to competition for and distribution of hives.

  The success of the BPGs and hive location mapping system will be reviewed following the July-February period and changes made if required. We will also amend the BPGs to address any pertinent issues identified in the Strategic Plan.

  Additionally, in all participating regions (HB, Gisborne and BoP) substantiated records of bee poisonings (laboratory residue results will be used to substantiate cause of death) will be made to quantify the impact of crop management activities on hives.

  The third phase of the programme is to ensure widespread adoption of the findings, strategic planning and BPGs throughout the country, but especially at this time the NI. The project group will actively drive the technology transfer through all participating sectors.

  Mechanisms to introduce the hive location mapping system nationwide if proven successful in HB will also need to be developed, hopefully in association with the regional authorities whose assistance will be sought.

  The project has continued well with key documentation and reviews being completed including an extensive briefing paper on the current status and needs of the pollination industry which will be used at the planning workshop.

  A working report on hive poisoning incidents was compiled, however poor use was made by the bee keepers of the project facilities to address this.

  A meeting of interested parties from the beekeeping, horticulture industries and MAF in May 2006 confirmed that:

  • Providing honey bees during flowering to pollinate crops is one of the various income streams available to beekeepers.
  • For some horticultural crops, the presence of these pollination hives is critical to the development of an economically viable crop.
  • Given assumptions on future beekeeper decisions, threats to pollination hives and assumptions on increased demand for pollination hives it is highly likely that there will not be sufficient hives available to meet the demand - an estimated of a deficit of 72,000 hives by 2015 is considered likely.

  A strategy is being developed to address these issues and the future of pollination.