> I do not understand why Canada does not utilize their own high class
> breeders...

They do, and many find the local supply sufficient.  The problem is that
many do not, for a variety of very good and valid reasons.  Read on...

> If beekeepers were to learn to breed their own queens they would
> become better beekeepers on many levels.

That's true, but many who are excellent at queen raising still decide they
need to buy a few thousand queens from elsewhere, or get packages for
replacement or increase *at the drop of a hat*, due to changing
circumstances.  Business beekeepers need maximum ability to respond quickly
to constantly changing circumstances.

Here is our experience.  After proving we could improve our stock and be
self-sufficient (at least in the short run over the few years we tried it),
plus produce queens for sale, we decided one year that we needed to buy
commercial packages and queens in quantity to expand suddenly to meet the
demands of local seed growers.  What we were able to buy was not nearly up
to the standard of our own bees, but the price was right, and they could be
had on relatively short notice (compared to slowly building up) -- and it
made us money.

While we were doing okay with the smaller operation, we were subject to much
greater risk, and had much lower income.  Looking back, it is clear that our
decision was a good one, and making that decision allowed us to retire
early, vs. the likelihood that we might never have gotten to where we could
afford retirement.  An available (but limited and unnecessarily costly)
supply of bulk bees was the key.

It is hard to explain some of these factors to many hobby or sideline
beekeepers, but for those of us who make bees our business, and cannot
afford to miss opportunities or take chances on supply the need for open
trade is obvious.  In a country like Canada, with many millions of acres of
good forage that have scarcely a honey bee to be seen, anything that impedes
growth of the industry by making the job more difficult and/or risky needs
to be confronted.

To answer you first question, we do, but they are too few and make to little
money after working too hard, especially when there are others, much better
situated, by climate and markets, to breed and produce queens and packages
much more efficiently.  Most of us in Canada are in honey making country,
not good queen rearing country.

allen
http://www.honeybeeworld.com/diary/

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