The governments of Canada and Ontario are supporting projects that will strengthen the health of managed honey bees and Ontario's beekeeping sector.
Since September 2019, the federal and provincial governments have committed more than $221,000 to support 135 projects. These projects will help beekeepers make improvements to better manage pests, diseases and other stressors and grow their bee-related business. Factoring in project funding coming from the businesses themselves, this represents a joint investment of more than $602,000 in the sector.
The funding has been provided through a targeted application intake under the Canadian Agricultural Partnership (the Partnership). Eligible applications are being received and assessed on a continuous basis, while funding is available.
Some projects supported through this targeted intake include:
- Equipment to help managed honey bees survive over the winter months
- Projects to detect and manage pests such as varroa mites
- Technology to enhance production
- Equipment to prepare operations for managing Small Hive Beetle
- Market and customer research to help increase sales.
"Many of our agricultural crops depend on the health and productivity of our pollinators, and this regional approach to strengthening Ontario's honey bee populations plays a vital role in allowing our high-value crops to succeed," said the Honourable Marie-Claude Bibeau, federal Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food.
"Honey bees play an essential role in Ontario's agricultural sector and in maintaining healthy ecosystems," said the Honourable Ernie Hardeman, Ontario Minister of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs. "That's why it's so important to support and sustain the health of our honey bees. This investment has helped over 135 beekeepers so far to equip themselves with better tools to prevent diseases, improve winter survival, adopt best management practices and grow their businesses."
Since June 2018, both the federal and provincial governments have committed cost-share support to approximately 2,500 projects through the Partnership to help eligible Ontario farmers, processors, businesses and sector organizations innovate and grow.
Source : Ontario