About 150 workers from Nicaragua were flown into Canada last week to work in the honey industry.
Manitoba Beekeepers' Association Chair Mark Friesen says the flight was arranged by the Canadian Honey Council and paid for by individual producers.
The workers will now have to self-isolate 14 days before they can start work.
"It's great that the government is kicking in a bit of cash," said Friesen. "They've promised $1,500 but it doesn't quite cover the expenses but I guess you can't expect to be given a complete cakewalk on anything. It would be nice to have a bit more coverage, especially when they're asking so much of us. They want us to put the guys up for so long."
Friesen is expecting a shortage of workers this year in a few different operations. He estimates about half of beekeepers in Manitoba use foreign workers.