What I have seen over here is that it is not a matter of all or nothing.

Not all farmers really dimention the bees' benefit, so some for example in
canola, do not place bees ever, so do not really know that they are loosing
some 30% production of seed and that that 70% probably have less oil in
them. Other place hives but on a smaller amount or with less bees than
optimal, so they are still producing less than optimal without noticing it.
The other extreme are those farmers that really appreciate bee pollination
and the risks associated with not having them. Those latter ones, at least
in the fruit for export segment are running their own hives.

The latter is my case. Based on the numbers we manage, the cost of having
the bees is less than 2% of the total running cost of the blueberry
operation, and they are over 80% of the success. No bees no fruit.

If we put in the equation the honey production over time, and other sources
of income (like propolis, nucs, queens, wax, pollen, etc) the pollination
service could be obtained for free in the long run.

This spring was a very bad one weather wise, and our blueberry operation was
one of the few that had a good production, probably because our bees were in
great shape (also the other managment associated with the plant production
was very well accomplished ie, nutrition, fungus control, etc).

My feeling is that probably the whole food industry is under a deep change
that will tend towards this type of alliances between farmers and
beekeepers.


-- 
Juanse Barros J.
APIZUR S.A.
Carrera 695
Gorbea - CHILE
+56-45-271693
08-3613310
http://apiaraucania.blogspot.com/
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