The Atlantic Tech Transfer Team for Apiculture had the
opportunity to attend the Canadian Association of Professional Apiculturists
(CAPA) annual general meeting 2026 this week both virtually and in-person
(Calgary, AB). Attending national meetings such as the CAPA AGM, as well as the
Canadian Honey Council National Beekeeping Convention, is important to ATTTA as
it provides the opportunity to voice the concerns and needs of the Atlantic beekeeping
industry at the national level. Read this week’s blog to learn more about CAPA and
why it is valuable that all Tech Transfer programs participate in this
association.
The Importance of Participation of the Atlantic Tech Transfer Team for Apiculture in National Groups
The Canadian Association of Profession Apiculturists (CAPA)
is the umbrella group for professionals who independently conduct research,
educate and otherwise support the beekeeping industry across the country. This
group of apiculturists converge every year at the CAPA annual general meeting.
The 2026 meeting, held in Calgary, AB, highlighted the importance of this association
and the extensive work members are involved in, within and outside of the
group, to support Canada’s beekeeping industry. It is worthwhile highlighting the importance of ATTTA and all Tech Transfer
programs participating in national groups such as CAPA and also attending
events hosted by the Canadian Honey Council (CHC).
Members of CAPA engage in diverse activities in their roles
outside of the professional association, such as regulatory aspects of honey
bee management, honey bee health inspections, honey bee health and pollination
research, collection of statistics, conservation initiatives to support wild
pollinators, and development of cost-effective practices and tools to support a
sustainable beekeeping industry. CAPA meets annually in conjunction with the
Canadian Honey Council (CHC) as a joint, important communication and networking
event.
The communication between ATTTA and national groups allows
the Atlantic beekeeping industry to have a voice nationally. The Atlantic
beekeeping industry in unique compared to other regions of Canada. For example,
Newfoundland and Labrador has the privilege of being Varroa mite free, and
protecting their industry should be a priority of all other Canadian provinces.
Additionally, the commercial beekeeping business model for the Atlantic
provinces is very different from other areas in Canada where most Atlantic commercial
beekeepers prioritize wild blueberry pollination, and expected honey production
is less than regions of Canada where commercial colonies pollinate canola
plants. Making sure that the Atlantic region is well represented at national
meetings is important for these reasons. Additionally, national meetings provide
valuable information on new research, industry priorities and market trends
which, when appropriate, ATTTA can circulate that information throughout the
Atlantic region.
Although each Tech Transfer team does a great job at
representing their industry at the national level it is also encouraged for
individual beekeepers to get involved with national groups and training
opportunities when possible. For example, there are two upcoming Canadian Honey
Bee Health webinars taking place on March 18th and March 25th
which are organized by the Canadian Honey Council and the Canadian Bee Tech
Transfer Programs.
Overall, ATTTA, and all other Tech Transfer Programs, communicate and work with CAPA and the CHC on industry concerns that are shared across the country. Canadian beekeepers are fortunate to have both of these organizations working on their behalf. To learn about new research happening both nationally and internationally read next week’s blog which will highlight research shared at the National Beekeeping Convention.
Connecting with ATTTA Specialists
If you’d like to connect with ATTTA specialists or learn more about our program, you can:
visit our website at https://www.perennia.ca/portfolio-items/honey-bees/
Email attta@perennia.ca