Hi folks
I think a poll on whether you are in favour of subsidies for bee farmers YES or NO would be interesting
This could be linked back to some of the discussion threads if that would be useful
Hi folks
I think a poll on whether you are in favour of subsidies for bee farmers YES or NO would be interesting
This could be linked back to some of the discussion threads if that would be useful
Go for it DR!
There are so many ifs and buts its not a simple poll.Originally Posted by The Drone Ranger
Hi folks
I think a poll on whether you are in favour of subsidies for bee farmers YES or NO would be interesting
This could be linked back to some of the discussion threads if that would be useful
For instance, IMHO if British beefarmers were operating on a level playing field then my answer would be NO, there shouldnt be any reason for them to get subsidies, but patently the situation is far from a fair and level playing field with competition in the honey market coming from countries where bee farmers do enjoy substantial subsidies and/or lower costs of living.
I imagine a similar poll conducted in ten years time when most of our current beefarmers will have retired and the financial rewards too slim to attract many newcomers, then the results would be an overwhelming YES.
I understand your concern mbc but at the end of the day there are lots deserving cases for subsidy
Not sure there's a strong case for bee farming
perhaps a poll with more options ?
Who could be more deserving than bee farmers ?
All the not so hidden benefits of having robust pollinator populations make bee farming the most deserving of all occupations to subsidise IMHO.
"Robust"?! Didn't you hear about bee farmers being practically wiped out last winter in Scotland MBC? Maybe in Wales it's some sort of commercial beekeeper paradise but up here not so much. And "most deserving"? - in the words of that great tennis player -"You ca-NNOT be serious!" One example of more deserving than your bee importing, foreign bee producer-supporting bee farmer - the upland or remote crofter/farmer. Keeping them going stops our country being a depopulated, unproductive wilderness. We live in very different countries MBC as may be pointed out to you by rather a lot of us in September 2014.
I try and be mindful of the fact things are a bit different up there, but surely even in Scotland, bees ( even imported bees from the 'dark side')provide invaluable pollination not just to cultivated plants but also all the wild flora, which in turn benefits everyone in supporting more fauna for grockles to come and gawp at while staying in pricey hotels.. How about subsidising crofters to keep bees ? There'd be no need for dedicated bee farmers then and it would ensure the countryside would get adequate pollination.
I strongly support devolution, but dread your lot going your own way as it would leave the rest of us even more London-centric than at present
Of course honeybees regardless of point of origin will pollinate plants wild and cultivated. Incidentally I live in one of those reasonably rare places where there are only garden plants if we're talking about cultivated plants and, as we are a sparse lot here in Strathspey , gardens are few and far between.
I don't want to see the extinction of bee farmers - honestly! What I want is for them to operate in a way which is sustainable and can function without resorting to imports. If they sort that out you won't hear a word against them from me. I'd even argue for them to be subsidised to achieve that!
Oh and I maybe shouldn't say any more about Sept 2014 as there'll be a many and varied opinion on here on the subject. Shouldn't have brought it up in the first place really
Hi mbc
One thing about subsidy is that it is given to the existing operators and would not encourage new entrants just shut them out
I'm not convinced by the pollination argument because as I have said before the commercial bees spend most of their time collecting honey.
Oil seed rape is already subsidised farmers are getting that money, so if pollination service is helpful to this wind pollinated crop then perhaps they can give some to the bee farmer.
Heather plants live for 30 years plus they don't need pollination services
The things that do need pollinating like fruit are ignored by honeybees if there is a better nectar source around and the growers are already prepared to pay for pollination services.
Of course in our climate the soft fruit is moving under plastic and better pollinaters like bumble bees take care of that end of things
So that brings me to is there a case for subsidy because Beekeeping can only survive with subsidy and I think that's a no there are thousands of beekeepers in the UK
Is beekeeping a major employer in the UK -no it's seasonal work for migrant workers mostly
Is the product of the activity essential to our well being again no there is no case here
The best route for a commercial beekeeping sector to become profitable is rationalisation then which means fewer and bigger operations with greater efficiency
Sadly that brings us back to closing the door on any new entrants to professional or semi professional beekeeping
The truth is that the British climate is not one where people can expect to make a living from a seasonal activity like beekeeping
At some point the BFA are going to tell one porky pie too many about the demise of the honey bee and the collapse of civilisation as we know it
In the end calling "wolf" every five minutes is counter productive as I have said before and there may be backlash
Long Long post sorry
Don't know about others, but i have managed to make a living from beekeeping for a lot of years now, and employ others, and i rear my own queens... and have never received any kind of financial help, like grants or subsidy.
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