>Hello
>As editor of Bee Biz, which is a magazine for commercial beekeepers, I try to
>report on honey prices around the globe. To keep as current as possible, I
>cannot rely on published information, which is by definition out of date by
>the time it reaches me. Instead I phone and fax a number of dealers in
>various continents.
>
>Can anybody advise me on quick, accurate ways to get this kind of
>information. I also need prices on wax and other products, but they tend to
>be more stable than honey prices, from what I can make out.
>
>Thank you.
>
>Matthew J Allan
 
 
Hi Matthew.
 
Didn't realize you had joined us on the LIST. Welcome.
 
I'm no help as far as the above is concerned (if you find a single,
reliable source, may I share the info? I have the same problem, and would
dearly like to have a source for Hivelights).
 
I left a message on your answering machine earlier today then found this
which is even better.
 
I need to know if the April 18th deadline for the next Bee Biz still
stands. I am still trying to get the pollen article out of Ernie Fuhr. He
promised me faithfully he would do it, but so far, I haven't seen it.
 
I will send you a Guelph University report from Julie Mc Carthy, who did
the first comprehensive work on pollination in ginseng, which traditionally
has a very low setting rate. She needs to get the word out, of course,and
since this is a crop that keeps on growing in deamnd, Bee Bix may be an
excellent place for it.
 
Dave MacMillan is going to send me a copy of the Ontario food processing
standards - I forget exactly what it is called - which the Canadian Honey
Council is looking at as a possible baseline for an industry supported
standard. More on that when it arrives.
 
You may be interested to know that Agriculture Canada officials reporting
to the Canadian Honey council annual meeting in Winnipeg last January told
us that 35% (of 67) shipments of Chinese honey tested here between April
and December 1996 were found to be adulterated.
 
I still have not received the photos back from the Babe's Honey story or
the corn syrup article. Are they still around? I hope they haven't been
lost, as they are the only ones Babe had of that particular element of the
operation.
 
I don't like to keep pestering Jerry, but do you know what the usual
arrangements are for being paid the honorarium for Bee Biz? I have only
received one payment (for two issues) to date. Should I be invoicing him?
And what is the rate as of now? I believe I received $200 Canadian or a
little better each for the first two issues.
 
Hope you're well into a sunny, warm spring. Where I am, the snow is about
half gone. In Winnipeg, they have just had the blizzard of the century. And
in Victoria, spring arrived two months ago. What a country! Anyway, it is
beautiful weather this week, and if it continues, the snow and mud will all
be gone soon. The grass is showing and the trees are budded, so everything
is just waiting. The bees though (and beekeepers), are getting VERY
impatient!
 
Best regards,
Fran