29 Oct 2010

South Island beekeepers may struggle to remain profitable

7:06 am on 29 October 2010

The spread of the varroa bee mite to southern parts of the South Island means some beekeepers there will struggle to remain profitable this season.

The parasite, which kills unprotected bee colonies, has been spreading southwards since it was first identified in the North Island 10 years ago and is now entrenched in Canterbury and Otago.

Federated Farmers' bee group chair John Hartnell says it costs beekeepers between $20 and $50 a year per hive to control varroa.

He says the extra costs are likely to hit South Island honey producers harder than their northern counterparts, because the ability to generate income is lower, with fewer pollination opportunities and fewer large areas of manuka.

In Central Otago, it's estimated that up to 70% of pipfruit and summerfruit orchards are pollinated by feral bees and the orchardists have never paid for commercial pollination.

But Mr Hartnell says there could be further opportunities for South Island beekeepers to provide pollination hives in the next few years.