ALMOND POLLINATION 2011 Let The Games Begin

摘要

Beekeeper Randy Oliver has likened price negotiations for almond pollination to a "high-stakes poker game." The analogy is apt and the "game" plays out every year between October and February. The players - almond growers on one side, beekeepers on the other -jockey for position as they try to make the best deal for themselves. Growers are used to negotiating with ag chemical distributors, with large growers enjoying an advantage due to their greater volume. Almond farming, like all of agriculture, has changed significantly over the last 40 years, with small farmers either dropping out or being taken over by large corporations or farm management companies.