>Can I ask of almond pollination fees are enough on their own to support
keeping a colony?

The rental rate is close to the operating costs for a commercial Calif
beekeeper to maintain and bring a colony to almonds.  Apparently the
operating costs of Midwestern beekeepers are a bit less, due to the greater
amount of summer and fall forage,and many can bring hives to Calif and
undercut Calif beekeepers on cost.

> If not, can the income deriving from other uses during the year also
increase in line with the needs to increase colonies for the increasing
acreage of almonds?

Is currently happening, due to elevated honey prices.  Other pollination
fees are not keeping up with inflation.

  > I.e. is the acreage of all other forage increasing proportionately?

No, is decreasing substantially, esp in the Dakotas, where roughly a third
of all almond bees spend the summer.

> Or are we witnessing the current system for migratory beekeeping being
driven to unsustainanbility  by pressure for profits in the related but
external activity of almond growing?

Will be sustainable so long as growing almonds is profitable enough to pay
beekeepers enough.  All indications are that it is.  Depends largely upon
the economies of China and Europe, and whether they continue to import
almonds.

>
> >If so, will pollination fees rise to the level needed for colonies to be
> kept only for almonds?

This has already happened.


>  And in that case will large holding yards be developed close to almonds,
> with bees being fed sugar through the year?
>

The current situation is not far from this for some beekeepers.

>
> How do experienced beekeepers see the future?


Our ag system appears to be nearing its nadir.  It is obviously
unsustainable, and exacting too high an environmental cost.  Many are aware
of this, and agroecological concepts and practices are taking hold.  IMHO,
agriculture will start changing for the better, as far as the environment
is concerned.

So long as the growing of almonds is profitable, I expect that market
forces will create opportunities for those who wish to supply pollination
services.  The current buzz in California is that there will likely be an
upward price adjustment this season, which will encourage beekeepers to
supply more bees the following year.  But the supply may well be short this
season.

-- 
Randy Oliver
Grass Valley, CA
www.ScientificBeekeeping.com

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