Winnipeg, Manitoba – Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada - The governments of Canada and Manitoba are investing more than $210,000 to monitor and improve the health of the province’s bee colonies, with the goal of supporting the long-term sustainability of commercial and hobby beekeepers, Federal Agriculture and Agri-Food Minister Marie-Claude Bibeau and Manitoba Agriculture and Resource Development Minister Blaine Pedersen announced today.
Governments are investing more than $210,000 from the Canadian Agricultural Partnership to support the Manitoba Beekeepers’ Association in establishing a new Knowledge Research Transfer Program (KRTP). The program will help provide beekeepers with better risk management tools and techniques to improve efficiency and increase production. It will also:
- develop a bee health monitoring service, which will use sentinel hives to share knowledge on overall health and integrated pest management;
- establish stronger connections with veterinarians to manage bee health risks associated with bacterial diseases; and
- identify best management practices to help reduce annual winter losses and share this information with beekeepers through training sessions.
Through its focus on bee health, the KRTP is expected to help the industry continue to provide a safe, quality product to local, Canadian and international markets.
Source : Canada.ca