Bee Tech: Sensors, AI, and Other Buzzy Innovations

Bee Tech: Sensors, AI, and Other Buzzy Innovations

By Maya Watson, Research & Policy Analyst, Information and Communications Technology Council (ICTC)

Results from ICTC survey of prairie beekeepers shows labour supply concerns and an ample demand for emerging tech.

Despite selling $208.8 million worth of honey in 2020, the second highest value since 2000, last year was difficult for beekeepers. Supply chain issues such delayed queenbee shipments from commercial flights and disruptions in temporary foreign worker arrivals reduced the number of colonies and the amount of honey produced in 2020. Indeed, according to Statistics Canada, “restrictions on imports and transportation contributed to the 5.6% decline in healthy colonies to 746,612 in 2020, the lowest number of colonies since 2016.” Subpar weather conditions compounded these issues.

Canadian AgTech start-ups are trying mitigate the negative impacts of these challenges by taking the guesswork out of beekeeping and promoting heathier colonies. Nectar, for example, uses RFID technology linked to a mobile app and a web platform to monitor individual colonies. The captured data helps keep bees healthy by identifying high-mortality management practices and locations. Other technologies frequently used by beekeepers include sensors to monitor missing queens and parasites, as well as solar panels to deter pests.

In early 2021, the Information and Communications Technology (ICTC) and the Alberta Beekeepers Commission (ABC), Saskatchewan Beekeepers Development Commission (SBDC) and the Manitoba Beekeepers Association collaborated to collect data on labour and tech adoption trends for beekeepers. These findings are presented in aggregate in ICTC’s new report Canadian Agri-Food: Sowing the Seeds for Tomorrow to inform policy-makers and industry. The findings presented below will help with ABC’s advocacy work around labour, innovation, and sustainability.

Labour

ICTC’s survey found that 94% of prairie beekeepers employ seasonal workers. While the number of employees varies between Alberta, Manitoba, and Saskatchewan, on average prairie beekeepers all employ between zero and thirty seasonal workers. Additionally, 96% of respondents found it either somewhat challenging or significantly challenging to hire seasonal workers (see Figure 1). Honey producers and beekeepers noted diverse causes for this labour gap including skill gaps, inability to pay competitive wages, “remote area[s],”

Figure 1 Beekeepers found it challenging to find seasonal workers. Source: ICTC Survey, 2021

as well as the difficult and seasonal nature of beekeeping. One beekeeper, for example, noted, “[I] can’t find people with the correct skills.” Another remarked that workers are “leaving for better pay.” Moreover, beekeeping is hard work. As some noted: “Beekeeping is a physically demanding job that is not for everyone” and “people don’t like getting stung.” Finally, producers asserted that it is “almost impossible” to find workers “who are willing to work only 6 or 7 months per year.” It is important to note that finding seasonal workers, on the other hand, was not a challenge for most beekeepers: 62% of respondents noted that non-seasonal workers are “not at all challenging” to hire.

Technology

Similar to responses from other surveyed horticultural organizations, personal devices for farm management such as computers, laptops, tablets, and smartphones are the most adopted technology for prairie beekeepers (see Figure 2). Interestingly, collaboration tools such as Zoom, Teams, and Slack as well as digital tools to move businesses and operations online were also popular. This popularity could correspond with the increased demand for digital farmers markets and direct online farmer to consumer sales during the pandemic.

Despite these challenges beekeepers and honey producers still plan to adopt new technologies next year. The most popular technologies selected include drones, automated machinery, tractors, excavators, trucks, and hive sensors.

More information

For more detailed information about Alberta, Manitoba, and Saskatchewan’s labour supply and tech adoption check out more infographics here.

To read more about the study findings in other agri-food sectors across Canada read ICTC’s latest report: Canadian Agri-Food: Sowing the Seeds for Tomorrow.

Figure 2. Technology adopted by prairie beekeepers. Source: ICTC Survey, 2021

How did this tech impact operations? Albertans indicated that automation increases efficiency. Likewise, responses indicated that greater access to information is a valuable asset.

Several barriers to adoption, however, prevented survey respondents from adopting new technologies. Indeed, 48% of respondents noted that the cost of equipment and implementation prevented them from adopting new tech, followed by 43% who noted lack of access to high-speed internet as a barrier. Other notable barriers include cost of maintenance and operation (30%), shortage of skilled labour to operate or implement the technology (30%), availability of equipment (26%), and poor interoperability (22%).