BRITAIN’S HONEY SUPPLY.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 19373, 8 January 1925, Page 8

BRITAIN’S HONEY SUPPLY.

NEW COMPETITOR FOR NEW ZEALANTK CANADA ORGANISES THE INDUSTRY. (Fbom Our Own Correspondent.) LONDON. December 3. It is perhaps just as well that New Zealand honey has already made something of a name for itself, for Canada seems to have taken a leaf out of New Zealand’s book, and organised her honey industry, with the result that whereas she was only able to export 615,0581 b last year, she has this year, according to the dominion apiarist, 6.000.000!b for export. Messrs A .T. Mills and Co., who are the sole agents in England for New Zealand honey, inform me that Canadian honey is certainly a competitor of New Zealand homjy, and is likely to become very much more so in a few years’ time,_ but they are holding their own with the New Zealand produce, and hope to continue to do so. Bee pools or co-operative societies for honey marketing have been organised in Ontario and Quebec, and such is the status of the industry in Western Canada that the coast and prairie provinces are expected to have similar organisations in operation before the end of the season. The next logical and expected step in the organisation, and the keystone of the enterprise, will in all probability be a central selling organisation. With these arrange ments completed according to the plans of the authorities, it is expected that the Canadian honey industry will be. established on a permanent and profitable basis. As soon as the market price can be standardised the supply" will be assured, and the honey trade will be an important factor emong the wealth-producing commodities of the dominion. Last year British Columbia, in an adverse season, accounted for a production of more than 500,0001 bof honey. The production in Manitoba, whore the growth of the industry has been phenomenal, was substantially in excess of 3,000,0001 b. Saskatchewan in that year produced 121,6001 b, and Alberta is also achieving a worth-while production. The aggregate value of the honey crop in Ontario in 1923 was slighfly less than 1,0000.006 dollars. There are in the province about 7000 honey producers, but out of these only about 600 depend upon the industry for the greater part of their income. In 1923 the province of Quebec had 7199 beekeepers, which included 1045 who were registered for the first time in that year. Their production was 5,393,8261 b of honey and 41,4591 b of wax. worth 1,983,051 dollars. The annua! average in Quebec for the past seven years has been 6095 beekeepers, with 68,770 colonies, accounting for a production of 2,617,9921 b of honey and 29,8781 b of wax, with a value of 1.405,925.45 dollars. This afternoon a man interested in the West Indian honey production remarked to me. “Wo are going to cut you right out!”