MEMBER NEWSLETTER
December 2025 Bulletin 119
Market Update By Guy Chartier Below are the statistics collected by Statistics Canada for the beekeeping industry in Canada for the last five years. ESTIMATES
2021
2022
2023
2024
2025
Beekeepers (numbers)
13,391
14,354
14,938
15,355
15,655
Colonies (numbers)
834, 262
766,874
809,304
843,712
854,653
Production of natural honey, total (x1000) (pounds)
88,132
74,413
95,647
80,997
84,080
Value of natural honey, total (x 1000) (dollars)
$268,403
$256,165
$283,531
$227,475
$240,639
The honey crop for 2025 was at 84 million pounds for Canada, which is in line with the previous five year average of 84.5 million pounds. Considering the challenges faced by the industry last year with high mite count in hives, high winter loss and climate uncertainty (forest fire smoke), it is good to see that the crop was average. It also encouraging to see that there are over 2,000 more registered beekeepers and over 20,000 more colonies than five years ago but the yield per colony continues to decline, which means higher cost of operation for beekeepers. Growth of the beekeeping sector is so important as the Canadian beekeeping industry provides billions in pollination value for crops like canola, fruits and vegetables.
Manitoba Cooperative Honey Producers Limited 645 Black Diamond Blvd, Winnipeg, MB R2J 4M7
Statistics Canada. Table 32-10-0353-01 Production and value of honey.
Honey Prices According to Statistics Canada, overall honey prices have remained fairly steady over the last couple of years. At the recent beekeeping conferences in Alberta and Saskatchewan there was talk of honey being sold between $2.15 and $2.25 per pound. As was shared at the cooperative annual general meetings the offers that have been reported to the office for this year’s crop started as low as $1.80 and as high as $2.25, with an average of $2.09. Indications are that several Canadian beekeepers still have honey to sell from the 2025 honey crop and that demand remains fairly soft.
Alberta Honey Producers Co-operative Limited Box 3909, 70 Alberta Avenue, Spruce Grove, AB T7X 3B1
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MARKET UPDATE
Member Online Portal The Members Online Portal is your source for all information regarding your membership at the Cooperative.
Bee Maid & Bee Supplies Holiday Closures DATES CLOSED Bee Maid Office Closure
DATES OPEN
Wednesday, Dec. Friday, Jan. 2, 24, 2025 to Thursday 2026 Jan. 1, 2025.
NOTE: For Members requiring Bee Supplies or Member Services, please arrange to contact the office or stores prior to our Christmas closing or immediately after we re-open in the New Year.
Articles: Beekeeping In The News •
ABC News - Testing on Supermarket Imported Honey Finds Some Is Not all Honey
•
GlobeNewswire - Sweet Harvest Foods’ Apiary Nate’s Hives Becomes America’s Largest Beekeeper
•
CityNews- CFIA says there’s no need to restrict honey bee imports to ward off deadly mite
•
CTV News - Beekeepers call for import ban on non-North American bees as deadly mite spreads
•
CBC News - Alberta researcher pitches Australian-made beehives as new alternative for Canadian beekeepers
The Portal experience allows for anytime, anywhere access to valuable information such various membership forms, payment information, newsletters, as well as your account statements. Visit the Members Online Portal regularly to be sure that you are getting the most out of your membership experience. If you have not yet claimed your Online Portal account, or if you have any other questions, please email all inquiries to portal@beemaid.com and we’ll be happy to assist you.
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RECENT NEWS
Applications Now Open: BeeMaid Annual Research Fund & Anniversary Scholarship Since 2004, the Bee Maid Honey Scholarship has helped support the children and grandchildren of our members and staff as they take the next step in their post-secondary journeys. These scholarships recognize academic achievement, leadership, and meaningful community involvement, reflecting our co-operative’s long-standing commitment to investing in people and supporting future leaders within our communities. In addition to the scholarship program, the Bee Maid Honey Research Fund reinforces our dedication to Canadian beekeeping and the continued success of our industry. Through this fund, we support research initiatives focused on apiculture, hive health, and honey production, helping drive innovation and strengthen best practices across the sector. Each year, universities, beekeeping associations, and agricultural organizations are invited to apply for funding that advances knowledge and benefits beekeepers nationwide. Applications for both programs open in December and are due by February 15, 2026. Full application details are available on the Bee Maid Honey website under the In the Community page. Click Here to View. Please send all completed applications and any inquiries regarding the scholarship or research grant to sbowden@beemaid.com.
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85th Annual General Meeting - Alberta Alberta Honey Producers 85th Annual Meeting was held at the River Cree Hotel on November 12, 2025. Attendance was similar last year with 29% of active Members present (32% percent in 2024). Danielle Eastman won by acclamation to a three-year term on the Board of Directors. The five Directors held a Reorganizational Meeting on November 12, 2025. We are pleased to announce the results of the Meeting:
Chair
Micheal Yaremcio
Phone: 780-603-4594
m.yaremcio@hotmail.com
Vice Chair
Paul Christensen
Phone: 780-293-0490
paullchristensen@gmail.com
Secretary to the Board
Rene LaRocque
Phone: 780-818-4268
larocquerene@hotmail.com
Director at Large
Danielle Eastman
Phone: 780-349-6610
deastman@shaw.ca
Director at Large
Howard Oudman
Phone: 780-221-6643
agrimen@netsetter.ca
Secretary / Treasurer
Julie Klassen
Phone: 780-962-5573
jklassen@beemaid.com
If Members have any concerns, please feel free to contact any Member of the Board at the numbers listed.
Door Prize Winners
Continuous Shipping Awards
Jeremiah Tschetter
Mike Paradis
Tim Townsend
Real Dubeau
Kevin Mier
Dionne Bacon
Congratulations to the following members that were recognized for continuous shipping to the Alberta Honey Producers Co-operative Limited:
Kevin Nixon
Sharon Lyons
Andrew Dickson
Howard Oudman
Michael Molenkamp
Curtis Gunderson
Renata Labuschane Alexis Olsen
Roy Sterling
35 Years:
TNT Apiaries
30 Years:
Real Honey Ltd. Sanchez Honey Daryl John Pankratz
Andrew Currington was the lucky winner of the $100 Bee Supplies Gift Certificate.
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New Member Accounts Administrator Welcome Dori Boland – Our new Member Accounts Administrator. Dori Boland joined the AHPC Finance Team on November 24, 2025. Dori replaced Bernadette as the Member Accounts Administrator. Congratulations to Bernadette who has moved into a new role within our department. Please send any member inquiries and/or forms to: dboland@beemaid.com.
Annual Questionnaire Please fill out and return the annual questionnaire (distributed in the Annual Meeting Envelopes) ASAP to Dori Boland, dboland@beemaid.com. This information is required to reconcile the number of Bee Maid drums on Member accounts.
Electronic Funds Transfer Please note the last day for members to request an EFT prior to the Christmas Closure is 11 am on Tuesday December 23, 2025. If you wish to participate in this service, please forward a VOID cheque to dboland@beemaid.com.
Interim Payment The Board of Directors is pleased to announce .25 cents per pound interim payment for January 15, 2026. Payment information is also available on the member portal.
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87th Annual General Meeting - Manitoba We were pleased to see an excellent turnout of Members at the 2025 Annual General Meeting. Your participation and engagement play an important role in guiding the direction of the Co-operative. During the meeting, Members received updates on the past year’s operations, current initiatives, and future priorities, and had the opportunity to ask questions and share their perspectives. Thank you to everyone who took the time to attend and contribute to these important discussions about the Cooperative’s ongoing success.
Board Structure
2025 Pool Interim Payments
A reorganization meeting was held on December 2, 2025 following the Annual General Meeting. The results are as follows:
The Board of Directors has declared an interim payment for January 15th, 2026. Please visit the Members Online Portal for details.
Chair
Dione Bacon
Vice Chair
Eckhard Rinsdorf
Secretary to the Board
Joe Edwards
Director at Large
Chris Bartel
Director at Large
Jayse Derraugh
Secretary
Karen Miles
Treasurer
Jonas Cacatian
Committees Audit & Risk
Bacon, Bartel, Cacatian, Rinsdorf,
Governance
Bacon, Derraugh, Rinsdorf
Human Resources
Bacon, Derraugh, Edwards
Nominating
Edwards, Rinsdorft
Strategy & Sustainability
Bartel, Edwards, Rinsdorf
Contact Information To access a list of Directors, Management and staff and their corresponding contact information, please visit the Members Online Portal for details.
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Recognizing Our Members The Manitoba Board of Directors would like to recognize those Members who have shipped honey to the Cooperative on a continuous basis for 25 years or more.
25+ Years
40+ Years
55+ Years
Hiebert Honey Farms
Sharon & Dwight Sollosy
Pedersen Apiaries Ltd.
Meadow Honey Ltd.
Verne & Jayse Derraugh
Clark Apiaries Ltd.
Ridgedale Co-op Association Ltd.
Gerald & Enid Bayn
Riverside Colony
Murray & Margaret Ann Cox
Robert Futros
Peters Honey Farm
Baconian Bee Farm
Christopher Warriner
65+ Years
B’s Bee Ranch Inc. Burwalde Woods Honey Inc. Ian & Verna Eaton Hannigan Honey Inc. Phil Veldhuis
30+ Years
45+ Years Meadow Ridge Ent. Ltd. Bacon Apiaries
Deerboine Colony Dwayne Drinkwater
Hero Honey
50+ Years
Bar2Bee Honey Ranch Ltd.
Bartel Honey Farms Inc.
Ammeter Farms 2019 Ltd. W Bar M Farms Keith Stehr Rogers Honey TJ Honey Farms Bill Bygarski Jr.
35+ Years Rodney Barber Verne Boyle Trevor Drinkwater Marian & Tim Garlinski Donald Glover Perchaluk Apiaries Ltd. Harold Kehler Lewis & Sons Enterprises Ltd. New Rutherford Apiaries
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