Canola at Fair Cape Dairies' Welgegund farm
Commercial dairy brand Fair Cape Dairies has introduced 21-million African Honey Bees on canola crops at its Welgegund cattle farm in the Western Cape.
The canola is grown as part of the farm’s crop rotation, which is known to help improve soil health, optimise nutrients in the soil and combat pest and weed pressure.
The dairy producer says it is committed to environmental welfare, as well as animal and social welfare through its ethical business practices.
Fair Cape Dairies environmental officer Dr Colin Ohlhoff says the use of honey bees to pollinate canola has been found to encourage higher yields and superior quality crops, while canola flowers offer the ideal nectar for bees.
“Working alongside nature, rather than against it, has long been a way of life for us at Fair Cape Dairies, and this method of pollination – a common practice of biodynamic farming – is beneficial for the farm, the bees and the environment.”