Yesterday a member of the Atlantic Tech Transfer Team for Apiculture attended the Wild Blueberry Producers Association of Nova Scotia (WBPANS) Winter Information meeting in Truro, NS. The event was well attended by industry representatives and provided a great opportunity for producers to discuss last year’s season and expectations for the upcoming growing season. Continue reading this week’s blog to learn the highlights of some information discussed during the meeting.

Review of the Wild Blueberry Producers Association of Nova Scotia Winter Information Meeting 2026

Yesterday Nova Scotia wild blueberry producers gathered in Truro, NS for their winter information meeting. Janette McDonald (Executive Director of WBPANS) welcomed everyone to the meeting and provided an update on behalf of the association. Janette discussed the priorities of the association which includes cost of production, provided information on WBPANS drought response for the 2025 growing season, gave an overview of the various events held by WBPANS this past year, and discussed the work of the WBPANS research committee. Additionally, Janette provided information on upcoming events for wild blueberry producers which includes the Maritime Wild Blueberry Conference which will be held in Moncton, NB on April 10^th and 11^th, and the WBPANS field day which will be held on June 24^th in Onslow, NS.

Patrick Whynot (Ag Business Advisory) gave a presentation on agriculture cost of production with key considerations for wild blueberries. Patrick discussed what makes cost of production models for wild blueberries unique which includes the fact wild blueberries are a biennial crop, producers have field heterogeneity, critical time windows for management practices such as pollination, and a unique market structure. There are some aspects of blueberry production that cannot be changed by the grower such as the market structure, climate variability, farm interest rates, and trade and tariff policies, which presents challenges for building a cost of production model. However, there are also some key considerations that are often missed by blueberry producers when assessing the economics of the business such as the full economic costs of sprout year fields, depreciation costs of equipment, owner labour costs, and inaccurate time estimates of various management practices.

Ashley MacDonald (Dalhousie University) gave a presentation on profit margins with key advise for wild blueberry producers to make small adjustments to their production practices to help provide small increases in profit margins. For example, Ashley discussed the value of producers to invest more resources into their best producing fields and reducing inputs in low performing areas or fields.

Sawyer Olmstead (Nova Scotia Provincial Apiculturist) provided an overview of the Nova Scotia honey bee industry. There are currently 983 beekeepers registered in Nova Scotia, and it is expected that number may increase to over 1000 this spring, which is the highest number of Nova Scotia registered beekeepers to date. Sawyer discussed the geographic spread of colonies across the province, where the most populated region is Kings/Hants counties with over 15,000 colonies. Sawyer discussed colony winter loss where last year the province had a winter loss average of 18.3%. He discussed the 2025 pollination and honey production season, which had significant challenges given severe drought conditions. Finally, Sawyer discussed challenges to the beekeeping industry including climate, decreasing honey yields, honey bee pests and diseases, and challenges associated with pollination.

Sawyer Olmstead, Nova Scotia Provincial Apiculturist, presenting at the Wild Blueberry Producers Association of Nova Scotia Winter Information Meeting 2026.

Hugh Lyu (Perennia Wild Blueberry Specialist) gave a talk on the 2025 wild blueberry growing season. Hugh highlighted how drought stress impacted the growth of plants in both sprout year and crop year fields. This past winter has provided favourable conditions for wild blueberry plants with the required chilling hours for winter dormancy, and adequate snow cover across the province. The next challenge will be for good spring temperatures for plant deacclimation, which is when plants lose their hardiness and prepare for spring growth. Once the deacclimation process has started extreme cold conditions can cause plant damage. 

Hugh Lyu, Perennia Wild Blueberry Specialist, presenting at the Wild Blueberry Producers Association of Nova Scotia Winter Information Meeting 2026.

The final presentation of the morning was from Lisa Jenereaux (Spurr Brothers Farms) who discussed the history and challenges of their farm and the importance of diversifying farms to produce multiple commodities and include other revenue streams such as agrotourism.

During the afternoon Dr. Harrison Wright (Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada) gave a talk on the impact of the 2025 drought on wild blueberry bud hardiness. Last summer most of Nova Scotia experienced either D3 (extreme drought) or D4 (exceptional drought) conditions with the driest summer on record. Overall, the research suggests that bud hardiness levels do not appear to have been significantly compromised by the drought conditions. Drought conditions appeared to have impacted nutrient reserves, but minimally impacted carbohydrate reserves.

Hugh Lyu gave a second talk on new technology available for wild blueberry producers. Hugh shared the new “Wild Blueberry Management Tool” available to growers which can be used to plan for management of Monilinia blight and Botrytis blight.

To conclude the meeting Dr. Scott White (Dalhousie University) discussed the biology and management of weeds. Scott discussed the biology and treatment options for 2 main weeds of wild blueberries – sheep sorrel and hair fescue.

Thank you to all members of WBPANS who helped organize this great event, which provided an opportunity for growers to recap the 2025 season and to learn from ongoing research.

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

This past weekend the Atlantic Tech Transfer Team for Apiculture attended the Nova Scotia Beekeepers’ Association Annual General Meeting and banquet in Debert, NS. The event was well attended with nearly 100 people in attendance, including a variety of presenters and tradeshow participants from across North America. For a summary of the NSBA banquet and annual general meeting read this week’s blog.

Review: Nova Scotia Beekeepers’ Association Annual General Meeting 2026

On Friday January 23^rd the Nova Scotia Beekeepers’ Association (NSBA) hosted an annual commercial beekeeper meeting in Debert, NS. During the commercial meeting, Janette MacDonald (Executive Director of the Nova Scotia Wild Blueberry Producers’ Association of Nova Scotia – WBPANS) gave an update on the Nova Scotia wild blueberry industry. In particular, Janette discussed the various impacts the 2025 drought conditions had on the crop, where across the province there was a 32% reduction in harvestable crop (based on the province’s 5-year average). It is still unknown the impact that these conditions had on sprout year fields and what this will mean for the 2026 wild blueberry crop.

Rodd Scarlett (Canadian Honey Council) discussed honey bee stocking issues. Stocking issues are directly correlated to colony winter loss and last year Canada had an above average winter loss at 39.3%. Comparatively, Nova Scotia faired well last winter with an average colony loss of 18.3%. Rodd also discussed imports of both packages and queens to Canada, which although needed to meet honey bee stocking requirements currently, it does present various biosecurity risks to the Canadian industry.

Dr. Dan Aurell (Auburn University) gave an informative presentation on the use of oxalic acid. Dan highlighted the fact that a beneficial time for beekeepers to be using any oxalic acid formulations (dribble, vapour or strips) is following a brood break. Following a brood break (ex. queenless spit) there will be a period of time when there is a low amount of brood present, and, therefore, the majority of Varroa mites will be present on adult bees and targeted by treatment. Dan also discussed the various oxalic acid treatments available including VarroxSan^TM (see previous ATTTA blog “New Varroa Mite Treatment Product: VarroxSan^TM” published on November 13, 2026). Another interesting topic that Dan discussed was the potential use of adjuvant to enhance the effectiveness of miticides by improving coverage, penetration and adhesion of various products.

During the evening of the 23^rd, the NSBA held their annual banquet. During the banquet the founders of Fireside Meadery (Connor and Maria Jeffreys) gave a presentation on the process of making mead and introduced the audience to their newly established Meadery (est. 2022) which is located Musquodoboit Harbour, NS.

Shelly Hoover (University of Lethbridge) gave an informative talk on the various impacts of climate change on honey bees and the availability of forage for bees during environmental stressors. Shelly highlighted the many impacts that drought conditions can have on the health of honey bees which was timely given the extreme drought conditions experienced across Nova Scotia during the 2025 beekeeping season.

To conclude the banquet, Dr. Andrew Byers presented the “Practical Beekeeping and Industry Engagement Award” to Heather Sherwood and Patricia Pittman both of whom are involved in the Nova Scotia beekeeping industry.

Heather Sherwood receiving the Practical Beekeeping and Industry Engagement Award from Dr. Andrew Byers.

Patricia Pittman receiving the Practical Beekeeping and Industry Engagement Award from Dr. Andrew Byers.

To start the annual general meeting on January 24^th, the NSBA held their annual business meeting. The president of the board, Lori Kittilsen, gave an update of the various activities of the NSBA during the past year. To highlight a few activities of the association, in 2025 the NSBA had a spring workshop , did a series of integrated pest management workshops across the province during the fall, participated in the Climate Adaptation Leadership Program, and developed a new logo and website.

Lori Kittilsen, president of the Nova Scotia Beekeepers’ Association, providing an update during the 2026 annual general meeting.

Alicia King (Nova Scotia Federation of Agriculture) gave an update on behalf of the federation. Alicia discussed the goals of the federation and also provided a summary of the various programs offered through the NSFA, all of which can be found on their website: https://nsfa-fane.ca/.

Sawyer Olmstead, provincial apiculturist, provided an overview of the Nova Scotia honey bee industry. In 2025 there was 968 beekeepers registered in Nova Scotia, and during the summer months these beekeepers managed a total of 30,203 colonies with an estimated 28,201 colonies going into winter. The number of colonies being managed in Nova Scotia has grown over the past 5 years with substantial growth seen in Annapolis and Kings Counties. In 2025 there was 11,500 colonies for honey production which produced an average of 38.1 lbs. per hive across the province. However, there was considerable variation in honey production for various regions of the province depending on local drought conditions. Wild blueberry pollination was achieved by 70 Nova Scotia beekeepers sending a total of 19,009 colonies to fields. Additionally, during a pilot program for the province, an additional 864 colonies were allowed into the province during the wild blueberry pollination period.

Sawyer Olmstead, Nova Scotia provincial apiculturist, providing an industry update at the 2026 annual general meeting.

Dr. Dan Aurell (Auburn University) gave a second talk on Tropilaelaps mites, which are a risk to the North American beekeeping industry. A couple of the challenges associated with Tropilaelaps mites when compared to Varroa mites, are that Tropilaelaps mites are smaller and harder to detect (1/3 the size of Varroa mites) and Tropilaelaps mites reproduce faster than Varroa mites allowing them to quickly grow their population. Overall, Tropilaelaps mites are significantly under studied compared to Varroa mites. However, some research is suggesting that Tropilaelaps mites do not survive very long on adult bees, and when brood is not present in a colony their population may be reduced. In Canada, very little brood persists throughout the winter months which may be an advantage to keeping Tropilaelaps mites at lower levels if the pest were to be introduced to the Canadian beekeeping industry. When monitoring for Tropilaelaps mites the “bump method” of knocking brood out of a frame, and sifting through the larvae, is currently the most effective yet accurate monitoring method available to beekeepers. For treatment, one product currently being researched is formic acid, but more studies are required to determine its efficacy.

Rodd Scarlett (Canadian Honey Council) provided a second presentation on honey adulteration. The Canadian Honey Council actively works with the Canadian Food Inspection Agency to prevent fraudulent honey from being sold on the Canadian market.

Shelly Hoover (University of Lethbridge) gave a second talk on imported versus local queens. Shelly explained how transporting queens significant distances can impact the viability of queens. For example, sperm stored within the queen’s spermatheca is sensitive to temperature and has decreased viability at temperatures too hot or too cold, which are often experienced during transport. In addition to the risks of queens being damaged during transport, the costs of imported queens have increased not in proportion to inflation rates. Local queens are not always available early in the beekeeping season, and, therefore, there is still a need for imported queen within the Canadian beekeeping industry. However, when possible, there are multiple benefits for beekeepers purchasing local queens.

Pascale Michaud (Agrogene Solutions) discussed the results of the various testing being offered by the Agrogene Solutions lab. Pascale provided insight to the various honey bee pathogens that are detected within the region’s colonies including viruses, bacteria, mites and fungi. To learn more about the various testing offered by Agrogene Solutions visit their website: https://www.agrogenesolutions.com/.

To conclude the meeting there was a panel discussion consisting of Rodd Scarlett (Canadian Honey Council), Dr. Dan Aurell (Auburn University), Pascale Michaud (Agrogene Solutions) and Shelly Hoover (University of Lethbridge). The panel discussed various important topics to the Nova Scotia beekeeping industry such as beekeeping cost of production challenges, Varroa mite management and treatments, considerations for splitting colonies, and honey bee health testing. Thank you to all of the panelists.

Thank you to all of the organizers of this year’s annual general meeting, and to all of the presenters for their knowledge and expertise they bring to the beekeeping industry.

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

Review of the Wild Blueberry Producers’ Association of Nova Scotia Annual General Meeting

Last week the Atlantic Tech Transfer Team for Apiculture had the pleasure of attending and presenting at the Wild Blueberry Producers’ Association of Nova Scotia annual general meeting for 2025 in Truro, NS. Read this week’s blog for a summary of the event, and to learn more about the 2025 wild blueberry season in Nova Scotia.

Review of the Wild Blueberry Producers’ Association of Nova Scotia Annual General Meeting

The Wild Blueberry Producers’ Association of Nova Scotia (WBPANS) held their annual general meeting last week on November 20^th and 21^st. To start the event, Andrew Dobson (WBPANS president) and Janette McDonald (WBPANS executive director) welcomed everyone to the conference and gave an overview of the two-day agenda.

Executive director of the Wild Blueberry Producers’ Association, Janette McDonald, at the 2025 WBPANS AGM in Truro, NS (2025).

The first presenter of the conference was Gilbert Lavoie (Forest Lavoie Conseil) who provided a wild blueberry market update. Wild blueberry production was down across the Maritime region with New Brunswick producing 25 million lbs., Nova Scotia producing 20 million lbs., and Prince Edward Island producing 21 million lbs. (Maritimes = 66 million lbs., and North America = 213 million lbs.). This past year was the lowest production of wild blueberries seen in North America within 25 years. Low production can be attributed to drought conditions persisting throughout the growing season, which were extreme within the Maritime region. The market price of wild blueberries continues to increase due to low inventories and production this past season. The demand for wild blueberries remains high. Despite high market price and good demand, revenue will be a continued challenge in the Maritime region due to exceptionally low production and high input costs.

Next, the Atlantic Tech Transfer Team for Apiculture provided a research update. To learn about ATTTA’s 2025 research projects read the past blog post “Summary of ATTTA Summer Field Work 2025” published on September 18^th. Our team will also continue to provide research updates through reports and throughout the 2025 meeting season.

Members of the Nova Scotia Department of Agriculture discussed various business risk management programs offered by the federal and provincial governments. These programs consist of Agri Invest, Agri Insurance, Agri Stability and Agri Recovery. These programs can help growers protect their livelihood during a poor growing season as observed this past summer. To learn more about each program visit https://agriculture.canada.ca/en/programs.

To start the afternoon session, Hugh Lyu (Perennia) provided a wild blueberry extension report. Hugh highlighted the severity of this past season’s drought conditions which, depending on the region of Nova Scotia, caused high yield reduction (various regions reporting between 55 to 100% reduction). Hugh also discussed how drought impacts the wild blueberry plant, where primary indicators of plant stress include a reduced number of berries and buds, and changes in leaf colour. It is still unknown how this past season’s drought will impact next year’s crop fields.

The Minister of Agriculture, Honorable Greg Morrow, addressed members of Nova Scotia’s wild blueberry industry, and demonstrated that the department of agriculture recognizes the extreme impact the 2025 drought has had on growers, and that the department is working to support growers however they can.

To conclude day one of the event, WBPANS held their annual business meeting. The business meeting included a president’s report (Andrew Dobson) and executive director’s report (Janette McDonald). The executive director of the Nova Scotia Federation of Agriculture (Carolyn Van Den Heuvel) gave an update on the various activities of the NSFA and the agriculture programs that NSFA supports. The business meeting also consisted of a promotion committee report (Sam Haley) and research committee report (James Fullerton).

Day two of the event started with a presentation from Patrick O’Neil (Wild Blueberry Association of North America – WBANA). Patrick discussed the structure of WBANA, and the various partners of the association. Patrick highlighted the marketing priorities of WBANA, and discussed various promotional activities and events that have recently occurred to promote the wild blueberry industry.

Dr. Collen Craig (Chair of the WBANA Health Research Committee) gave a health research update highlighting current and upcoming projects being funded and/or supported by WBANA. Some of the areas of wild blueberry health research currently in works include the benefits of wild blueberries for protection against ultraviolet rays, prevention of inflammation in the body, stress management and improved brain function.

Next, Dr. Scott White (Dalhousie University) provided a weed management update discussing the efficacy of various herbicides to manage hair fescue and sheep sorrel. Dr. White discussed which products are best to be applied in sprout versus crop year fields, and the optimal timing of application within the season.

Members of Dr. Chris Cutler’s lab (Dalhousie University) provided research updates on the biology and management of two insect pests of wild blueberries – spotted winged drosophila (SWD) and blueberry maggot. Samantha Van Wart discussed monitoring techniques for SWD including lures and traps highlighting crucial times for growers to be monitoring. Janelle MacKeil provided a research update on blueberry maggot which provided insight to the biology of the pest, when growers should be monitoring in their fields and what treatments are currently available and effective to manage blueberry maggot.

Patrick Hennessy (Dalhousie University) gave an update on his research regarding new technology in pesticide applications. Patrick discussed the results of field trials for using smart sprayers and machine vision technology to treat various weeds, and to detect and treat various wild blueberry diseases.

Dr. David Percival (Dalhousie University) presented on the impacts drought stress has on the physiology of the wild blueberry plant. Overall, the wild blueberry plant is resilient to both water and heat related stress, but prolonged stress impacts the plant’s ability to photosynthesize and in turn produce fruit. Additionally, environmental stress creates competition for resources between the wild blueberry plant and various weeds (ex. hair fescue), further impacting the health of the plant.

To conclude the meeting, Dr. Harrison Wright (Agriculture and Agrifood Canada) gave a research update on wild blueberry hardiness. Dr. Wright explained three techniques that can be used to assess plant hardiness and provided preliminary results comparing the hardiness of wild lowbush blueberries to cultivated highbush blueberries. Dr. Wright also explained some of the impacts dramatic winter temperature fluctuations can have on plant hardiness as observed during the winter of 2023.

This past year the wild blueberry industry experienced one of their most challenging growing seasons as their industry was significantly impacted by drought conditions, and it remains a challenge for the industry to generate sufficient revenue with high production costs and low yield once again. Despite the many challenges the industry has, the wild blueberry industry is resilient, and it works to produce a quality product for which there is high demand. Thank you to all members of WBPANS who helped organize this great event, which provided an opportunity for growers to recap the 2025 season and to learn from ongoing research.

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

Even across the Atlantic region, each province experiences differences in their beekeeping season. From year to year there are reported differences in regard to provincial winter loss, honey crop, pollination demand, weather patterns, prevalence of pests and diseases, among other items. Continuing with the series of Atlantic industry updates, this week’s blog will provide an overview of the 2024 beekeeping season in Nova Scotia. Be sure to read this week’s blog to learn more about the NS beekeeping season, and the various challenges and successes their industry experienced.

NS Beekeeping Industry Update 2024

This past winter, Nova Scotia experienced higher than their average honey bee winter loss, at 31.6% of colonies. The percent loss of colonies was reported by the Canadian Association of Professional Apiculturists in their preliminary report on honey bee wintering losses in Canada. This past winter was the highest loss of colonies for the province since 2010 (see graph below). Interestingly, NS is a leading province for low winter loss year after year, and 2024 seems to be an outlier. Although 31.6% loss is higher than normal for the province, this amount is considered near manageable, and it is possible for beekeepers to recover this amount of loss throughout the beekeeping season.

Comparison of honey bee (Apis mellifera) winter loss in Nova Scotia over the last 18 years based on the Canadian Association for Professional Apiculturists honey bee winter loss reports.

Varroa mites remain a top reason for colony loss across the nation each year according to the CAPA winter loss report. This past summer ATTTA conducted a regional Varroa mite survey which included nine NS commercial beekeepers representing a large number of the province’s colonies. Samples processed early to mid-season all had mite levels below 1%, which is below the economic threshold for treatment. During the late season, samples had mite levels ranging between 0 and 17%, where approximately 14% of samples were above the economic threshold and indicated treatment was needed within the apiaries. It is important to understand that the population of Varroa mites increases throughout the beekeeping season, which is reflected by the increase in mites sampled between May and September. This makes early spring monitoring and treatment for Varroa mites crucial because populations can quickly get well beyond the economic threshold if waiting until the fall to treat colonies again. If a beekeeper is seeing mites during the early part of the beekeeping season, then they should be prepared to provide treatment by fall. Overall, the suggestion from the 2024 survey is that NS beekeepers are managing mite levels well, and current chemical treatments available continue to be effective.

Pollination came early this year for many NS beekeepers and blueberry growers. The average temperature in May (based on Halifax Stanfield International Airport weather station) was 11.5◦C, whereas the past 5-year average was 9.9◦C (Government of Canada). Multiple beekeepers and growers report they did not anticipate wild blueberry bloom to occur as early as it did, and there was a significant push to get hives ready and onto blueberry fields quickly. There is still variation in the timing of bloom across the province, but, with changing climate, those involved in pollination should closely monitor the timing of bloom for efficient and timely pollination. Despite this challenge, most beekeepers and growers reported having their hives onto fields in time for bloom this past season.

ATTTA team members assessing hives on Nova Scotia wild blueberry field (ATTTA©2024).

There remains good demand for pollinating units in NS. Those who wanted to rent out honey bees had little or no issue making arrangements with blueberry growers. As with other Maritime provinces, the pollination demand is also being met through importing bumble bee quads. This past season there was government support for those who sent hives to pollination through the Apiculture Sustainable Growth and Health Program.

Nova Scotia beekeepers report that the 2024 honey crop is expected to be similar, or slightly less than last year (2023 = 38.5 lbs. / hive), which is below Nova Scotia’s 4-year average (48.25 lbs. / hive).  The specific data on this year’s crop will be available from the NSDA to confirm these anecdotal reports.  Overall, the reports from beekeepers indicate a largely variable honey crop across the province generally following the slight downward trend seen in the past few seasons.

The province experienced an average fall season. The average temperature in September (based on Halifax Stanfield International Airport weather station) was 15.8◦C, whereas the past 5-year average was 15.7◦C (Government of Canada). A warm fall can present the issue of bees consuming large amounts of their honey stores prior to winter. To compensate for bees being active when there is minimal forage available, beekeepers may have to increase feeding. Additionally, the longer season allows opportunity for varroa mite levels to spike. Beekeepers need to be vigilant with mite monitoring in fall, and treat when indicated. Oxalic acids remains a very useful tool for beekeepers to manage mite populations in the late season.

In preparing this report, ATTTA has spoken to a range of commercial beekeepers, the NS Provincial Apiculturist and members of the Nova Scotia Beekeepers’ Association (NSBA) board. The information provided enables the ATTTA team to draw some preliminary conclusions on the past season. The consensus is that the 2024 season was, after a very solid start post-pollination, somewhat disappointing with just adequate colony performance and a modest honey crop. As additional summary data becomes available further insights into the 2024 season will be gained.

Overall, beekeepers across NS remain optimistic about the 2025 season, as they continue to prepare hives for the upcoming winter months. Beekeepers report sending their hives into winter with lots of food stores (both honey and pollen), and decent sized clusters.

A reminder that the due date for NS annual beekeeper registration 2025 was November 1, 2024. If you have not already, be sure to register as a beekeeper with the NS Department of Agriculture for 2025 at the following link: https://novascotia.ca/agri/programs-and-services/industry-protection/documents/beekeeper-registration-renewal.pdf. Beekeeper registration is mandatory in NS according to the Bee Industry Act.

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 abyers@perennia.ca

References

Bee Industry Act. Bee Industry Regulations. 2017.

Canadian Association of Professional Apiculturists. Statement on honey bee wintering losses in Canada 2007-2024.

Government of Canada. Historical Climate Data.

Now that the busy beekeeping season is winding down, there are many opportunities for beekeepers to attend industry meetings.  Groups, like provincial beekeeping associations, have workshops and technical sessions which support ongoing professional development.  There are many opportunities for producers to further understand best practices and gain knowledge on new information around their industry.  These meetings also provide networking and social opportunities for both new and established participants in the industry.  As these meetings occur over the next few months, attendance is encouraged and always of benefit.  An excellent example of an industry meeting, the Nova Scotia Wild Blueberry Conference, has just occurred.  In this week’s blog you will find some of the highlights of the meeting.

Nova Scotia Wild Blueberry Conference

The annual conference and AGM of the Wild Blueberry Producers Association of Nova Scotia (WBPANS) was a great success in Truro last week (Nov 17 – 18).  Many blueberry producers, in addition to beekeepers, took advantage of the opportunity to meet in person which resulted in a healthy turnout for the event.  Two packed days of informative talks and opportunities for networking brought in people from all three Maritime provinces as well as the state of Maine.

The first day started with a warm welcome to all those who joined in person, as well as those accessing the meeting virtually.  The WBPANS outgoing president, Peter Swinkels, gave an excellent, concise report of the past year and an optimistic view to the future of the blueberry sector.  A more detailed report on the activities of WBPANS was given by Peter Burgess which reaffirmed our appreciation of Peter and his team for the tremendous volume of work achieved by the Association on behalf of the industry. 

The first technical report of the meeting was provided by Gilbert Lavoie as a commodity market overview of wild blueberries.  Mr. Lavoie, as founding partner of Forest Lavoie Conseil, told the group that Europe represents the largest market for the 100 million pounds of blueberries leaving the Maritime region.  The global market, 213 million pounds combined wild and cultivated blueberries, is increasing production, especially in China.  Appreciation of the quality of wild vs cultivated varieties was proven by this report as evidenced by the premium price paid for wild blueberries.  Although a generally optimistic economic report, Mr. Lavoie did cautiously suggest a potential downturn in price moving forward.

The importance of pollination services and honey bees was a theme throughout the conference.  Two sessions were dedicated to this specifically on the first day.  A pollination panel, with a group of experienced industry experts, discussed aspects of preparing for and managing pollination services.  An afternoon break-out session, chaired by Mario Swinkels, provided a chance for commercial beekeepers to discuss challenges and opportunities in that sector.

Day two of the conference focused on research highlights. Dr. David Percival and Joel Langdon from Dalhousie University talked about developments in new remote sensing technologies for identifying and subsequently eliminating field weeds, aimed to save producers time and improve accuracy in weed management. Dr. Travis Esau also discussed results of a new technology in weed management, an electronic weed Zapper which kills target vegetation. PhD candidate, Janelle MacKeil, provided an overview of her project which aims to contribute to the management of the blueberry fruit fly. In his presentation on herbicide application, Dr. Scott White emphasized his recommendation to always use Chikara together with Ignite for fescue management. 

Perennia and ATTTA were pleased to present at the conference, as well! Wild Blueberry Specialist Hugh Lyu and Agriculture Technology Specialist Thomas Harrington presented updates on the Weather Station Assistance Program, which had excellent uptake by wild blueberry producers. These weather stations are located throughout Nova Scotia and are already contributing to relevant research for wild blueberry producers. For example, Hugh discussed how the data is contributing to a better understanding of growing degree days for the wild blueberry bud F2 stage, which has important implications for management decisions. ATTTA was able to give preliminary results from our research projects over the summer! We will continue to share our results in our blog as these develop!

Overall, the event was a productive two days highlighting the significance of the blueberry industry to the Maritime region of Canada. Thank you to WBPANS for hosting and to all who attended!

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 abyers@perennia.ca

This spring, ATTTA has been pleased to attend wild blueberry meetings across the Atlantic provinces. These meetings highlighted guest speakers and key industry members who presented on topics about the state of the industry and disseminated recent research findings around wild blueberries and production. Read on for an overview of the major themes that came out of these meetings and a glimpse into the outlook of Atlantic Canada’s wild blueberry industry.

The Blueberry Industry Goes Wild!

There were several themes that rang through the wild blueberry meetings held throughout New Brunswick (Moncton, Bleuets NB Blueberries), Nova Scotia (Truro, Wild Blueberry Producers Association of NS) and PEI (Charlottetown, PEI Wild Blueberry Producers Association) this spring.  Theses provincial meeting also aligned with the discussions held at regional meeting in Tracadie, Pennfield and Parrsboro.  Overall, there is a great positivity in the wild blueberry industry and also an understanding that the future will present some challenges.

In terms of research, Dr. Scott White reported on significant developments in weed management.  There are proposed products in the pipeline, particularly for fescue. CHICARA® is a new group two herbicide that has proven effective and can be considered by producers as an alternate in their integrated pest management regime. There have also been technological advances in application techniques. Dr. David Percival and other researchers at Dalhousie are developing smart applicators which will improve the efficiency of herbicide use by training computers to detect the target vegetation and spray it directly as opposed to conventional widespread application. 

There was a sense of optimism and celebration at these meetings, as well! The wild blueberry industry is in a position where good markets and prices for berries are supportive of growth. The potential for expansion was discussed in all provinces with New Brunswick seemingly very well placed for increased capacity.  Furthermore, recent research has revealed positive news for wild blueberries from a consumer perspective. Health research consultant, Dr. Wihelmina Kalt presented research that wild blueberries have demonstrated to have an overall preferable flavor profile when compared to high bush blueberries, for example in sweetness and consistency of flavor. Not only this, blueberries have proven to hold exceptional health value. Commonly praised for high antioxidant content, blueberries are perhaps even more beneficial due to high concentrations of anthocyanins which help in mitigating cardiovascular and neurological deterioration (Kalt et al. 2019). 

However, with this encouraging potential for growth there is also concern. The common concern through the industry appears to be around providing pollination units to support expansion. There is worry around the high winter losses reported throughout the country and the impact that this will have on our local wild blueberry industry this season. There is also considerable discussion around the future availability of pollination units as new fields come into production.

The solution to this concern is not just increasing honey bee hives available for pollination but also, and importantly, to improve the efficiency of our available pollination units. This was the focus of ATTTA’s discussions at these meetings and has been featured in our most recent blog postings. By using appropriate stocking densities, hive placement, and hive strength, we can maximize the pollination capacity of honey bee hives that we currently have for wild blueberry pollination and strengthen our regional pollination industry. 

Reference

Kalt, Wilhelmina, Aedin Cassidy, Luke R Howard, Robert Krikorian, April J Stull, Francois Tremblay, and Raul Zamora-Ros. 2019. “Recent Research on the Health Benefits of Blueberries and Their Anthocyanins.” Advances in Nutrition, July, nmz065. https://doi.org/10.1093/advances/nmz065.

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 abyers@perennia.ca