A shortage of commercial honeybee hives is cutting pollination across British Columbia's blueberry acreage this season. The problem is compounded by an unusually warm winter, according to the British Columbia Blueberry Council (BCBC).
Key Facts
- BC's blueberry hive demand totals 66,000, but only 25,000 to 30,000 hives are available this year.
- Hive rental has climbed to about CA$400 per acre, double the rate US growers pay.
- Down as much as 26%, 2026 BC volume may total just 130 million to 150 million pounds.
BC blueberry hive demand hits 66,000 this year, but growers can access only 25,000 to 30,000, BCBC Executive Director Sudeshna Nambiar told FreshFruit Portal.
Even operations that paid for enough hives to meet the industry's two-hive-per-acre standard still saw low fertilization, reducing average berry size. Nambiar explained the impact varies sharply by farm and region, with some operations down 10% and others down as much as 70%.
Warm Winter Shortens Blueberry Plant Hibernation
Vancouver logged its first snowless winter since 1982, with average temperatures more than 1.5 degrees Celsius above normal, per local outlet Sudbury.
Blueberry plants need a proper winter hibernation period to flower and fruit well. A shortened cold season can hinder that process, even when it doesn't reduce foliage growth.
Nambiar explained that the short winter meant BC's blueberry plants did not get proper hibernation this year. University of British Columbia atmospheric sciences professor Rachel White told Sudbury the pattern tracks with the broader warming trend researchers have documented.
Honeybee Hive Shortage Drives Up Pollination Costs
BC's 33,000 planted acres require two hives per acre under industry pollination standards, bringing total demand to 66,000 hives, per Nambiar. Commercial beekeepers can supply only 25,000 to 30,000 hives for blueberry pollination, a gap she puts above 100%.
Canada's ban on honeybee imports from the United States has closed off the main route growers could use to close that gap. This has pushed hive rental to about CA$400 per acre, roughly double the rate American growers pay.
The bad pollination is hitting hardest in the Duke variety, which makes up a little over 45% of BC's blueberry acreage. Nambiar's early estimate puts 2026 production between 130 million and 150 million pounds, down from 176 million pounds in 2025. That range spans a 15% decline in the best case and a 26% decline in the worst.
Smaller Berries Push More BC Crop Into US Market
Smaller berry sizes and higher production costs are narrowing BC growers' access to premium export markets, according to Nambiar. That is pushing more of the crop toward the US market instead.
The United States already buys the large majority of BC's blueberry crop. Nambiar called that reliance increasingly uneasy, citing shifting demand and pricing conditions south of the border.
She said a larger US share of BC's supply could create difficulty for Canadian growers if conditions shift.
Despite the uncertainty, Nambiar said the industry remains confident it can adapt, pointing to past challenges the sector has weathered.
"We are farmers, and we will get back up, and we will persevere," she added.
