The Agriculturist-April 13, 1982-Page 13
Beesiness is buzzing
By CHERYL BURKE
Busy bees mean big business,
and the increase in the number
of hives in Texas shows that in
terest in apiculture has helped
the beekeeping industry expand
beyond honey production .
“Over the past decade, the
number of hives in Texas has
tripled — that’s a good indicator
of the growth of the industry,”
said Paul Jackson, the State En
tomologist and Chief Foulbrood
Inspector (inspects all bees that
enter Texas).
Texas bees alone produce
over 10 million pounds of honey
each year, but apiculture has ex
panded beyo nd honey produc
tion. Areas such as mass market
ing and packing, production
and marketing of beekeeping
equipment and package-
quantity selling of bees are hold
ing their own. Package-quantity
is selling a certain quantity of
bees in packages.
And now, Jackson said, more
and more beekeepers are enter
ing the relatively new field of
commercial crop pollination.
Yet even with more interest
and participation, beekeeping is
at a stalemate because of infla
tion, he said.
The price of a hive ranges
from $35 to $65, depending on
such factors as age, size and
quality. A single hive is consi
dered a colony, while more than
two hives is defined as an apiary,
or bee yard.
The bee has provided
man with honey and
wax tor centuries, but
the ancient art of apicul
ture has now been estab
lished as a major mod
ern industry.
In Texas, apiaries average 25
to 100 hives, although commer
cial operators will usually have
500 or more hives — often num
bering into the thousands in the
larger operations.
The state average of honey
production, which includes hon
ey produced from bees raised by
hobbyists as well as large oper
ators, is 50 pounds per hive. But,
Jackson said, a commercial pro
ducer could reach twice or three
times that amount in a good
year.
Currently, honey is selling at
42 to 52 cents per pound. Light-
colored honey, which has a mild
taste, is usually more expensive
than the darker, more highly
flavored honey.
The main problem facing
, — }
“We salute A&M for their contributions
to Agriculture.”
Lloyd Joyce Class of ’55
Art King Class of ’66
Lloyd Joyce Agri-Service
1302 Groesbeck
Bryan, Texas
823-7596 or 822-9115 ^
PROMOTING: Interest
Instruction
Industry
‘ MEETINGS:
Second Tuesday
Monthly
beekeepers is the huge loss suf
fered each year through pesti
cide poisoning. An estimated 10
percent of the bees are killed
annually by pesticides alone.
“The Brazos Valley area is a
poor beekeeping area because
of the large amounts of pesti
cides used,” Jackson said. “Cot
ton is one of the best nectar
plants available, but the risk of
pesticide poisoning in this re
gion is too high.”
Many operators are adding
pollination systems to their reg
ular honey production. 1 he far
mer hires the beekeeper to move
his colonies into the fields to pol
linate the crops and both be
nefit: the farmer gets maximum
production and the beekeeper is
ensured immediate returns.
“The bee helps the gar
den, the garden helps
the bee, and man reaps
the harvest of both. ”
- Anonymous.
But again, the risk of pesticide
poisoning makes pollination
contracting a risky venture for
apiculturists.
Jackson pointed out that
beekeepers are not entering into
the pollination aspect 100 per
cent because of the high risks.
Honey production is still the ma
jor income source for most
beekeepers.
Beekeepers can be protected
from such losses if the farmer
warns the keeper before insecti
cides are applied, he said. If the
farmer does not warn the
beekeeper, he may be held
financially responsible for any
hives lost from poisoning.
Beekeepers are turning more
toward mechanization and even
computerization in efforts to
alleviate high labor costs and
achieve more efficient produc
tion.
Jackson said he sees a con
tinuing trend toward larger
operations but believes there
will still be many “sideliners“-
people who keep bees as a
second source of income, and
hobbyists.
Sun-run fencing
By BRENDA C.
DAVIDSON
Some Texas ranchers
have a new source of power
for their electric fences — the
sun.
Dick Ribinski, a sales rep
resentative for ARC 12, an
Iowa-based firm, began mar
keting the company’s solar-
powered fencing in Texas
this year.
“It’s going like crazy down
here, and people love it,” he
said.
The fencing system con
sists of a solar-powered con
trol unit, white plastic posts
and high-tensile wire.
A solar panel collects sun
light, which is stored in a 12-
volt battery. The battery can
store enough energy to oper
ate the fence 14 days in total
darkness.
However, the solar panel
also operates on ultraviolet
rays, which are present even
on cloudy days, Ribinski said.
The posts are polyvinyl
chloride (PVC), a sturdy plas
tic that resists weather and
stress, Ribinski said, and the
non-conductive PVC posts
won’t rot or rust like wood or
steel posts.
Each strand of wire will
withstand 1,815 pounds of
pressure before it breaks. In
addition, each wire has an en
closed spring that keeps the
wire taunt to withstand se
vere impact, he said.
The ARC 12 fence costs 65
to 69 cents a foot to install if
the rancher buys at least five
miles of fencing, Ribinski
said. This is cheaper than
barbed wire, which costs over
a dollar a foot to build.
Five strands of wire are
used for fences for cattle and
horses, and a six-strand ver
sion is used for sheep and
swine. An optional seven-
strand version is even more
effective against predators,
Ribinski said.
Farm output eyed
By KITTY FRALEY
It is ironic that many Texas
farmers are suffering severe
economic problems during a
period of high demand for agri
cultural products, says a profes
sor in the agricultural economics
department at Texas A&M Uni-,
versity.
“Texas producers have the
physical capacity to meet in
creased demand, but increasing-
output is an economic problem,”
Dr. Rod Martin said. “Expanded
production with traditional
management and technology
means use of more resources,
higher costs and lower income.”
The expanded research prog
ram in the agricultural econo-,
mics department will develop
economic analyses and informa
tion for each phase of farm and'
ranch operations, he said. The
information will help increase
productivity, improve manage
ment decisions, lower produc
tion costs and in
rease profits.
Improved management and
new technology is vital to main
taining profits and increasing
economic opportunities for
Texas farmers and ranchers,
Martin said.
“The economic activities of
farms and ranches can be di
vided into three phases: acquisi
tion and organization of capital,
production of agricultural pro
ducts and marketing,” Martin
said.
“We’re trying to find a kind of
technology for farmers that will
lower production costs or enable
them to produce a larger quanti
ty for about th same cost,” Mar
tin said.
Dr. John Hopkin, head of the
agricultural economics depart
ment, is in charge of the re
search. Twelve staff members
are working with him on the
project.
Agronomy Society
Peanut Sales
>2 lb — ’t ' ? lb. — roasted & salted
S 1,75/lb — raw
Available in 217 Soil & Crop Sciences Building
For more information, 845-3469 — 845-3341