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Valuing over-winter colony losses for New Zealand’s commercial beekeepers

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  • Philip Stahlmann-Brown
  • Richard J. Hall
  • Rex Butt
  • Brian McCall
  • Gabriel Torres
  • Tony Wright

Abstract

The number of managed honeybee colonies in New Zealand has increased dramatically, due largely to increasing high-value mānuka honey exports. Pollination also represents an important part of the apicultural sector, providing critical services to the horticultural and arable crop industries. A survey of winter colony losses has been conducted annually since 2015. Using data from the 2021 wave of the survey, we derive a model to estimate the financial cost of winter colony loss to New Zealand commercial beekeepers in that year. We estimate that winter colony losses conservatively cost commercial beekeepers $24,181,835 in 2021, which amounts to $38.04 per managed colony. This equates to 9.2% of the value of honey yields for commercial beekeepers who produce honey and between 10.6% and 60.5% of the value of contracts for beekeepers who provide pollination services. These substantial costs pose a risk to the profitability of beekeeping.

Suggested Citation

  • Philip Stahlmann-Brown & Richard J. Hall & Rex Butt & Brian McCall & Gabriel Torres & Tony Wright, 2023. "Valuing over-winter colony losses for New Zealand’s commercial beekeepers," New Zealand Economic Papers, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 57(2), pages 184-190, May.
    • Handle: RePEc:taf:nzecpp:v:57:y:2023:i:2:p:184-190
    DOI: 10.1080/00779954.2022.2146527
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