July 10, 2023 | Updated: August 28, 2023
The federal and provincial governments have
announced funding for Ontario commercial beekeepers. The AgriRecovery initiative, available through the Sustainable Canadian Agricultural Partnership (Sustainable CAP), will help offset extraordinary costs experienced due to increased overwinter bee colony losses during the 2021-22 winter season.
Eligible beekeepers can review full program details, including eligibility requirements, in the
Canada-Ontario Overwinter Bee Colony Loss Replacement Initiative (2021-2022) guidelines (amended: August 9, 2023). Payments for bee colony replacement assistance will be based on the extraordinary cost to purchase each type of replacement colony on a per unit basis. Producers are eligible to receive compensation for three different restocking options. The payment rates are:
- Nucleus Colonies - $210/colony
- Package Bees - $140/package
- Queen Bees - $35/queen
The deadline to apply for this funding has passed.
About the Sustainable Canadian Agricultural Partnership funding
Up to $5 million in funding is available through Sustainable CAP to help the province’s commercial beekeepers. This funding will help beekeepers manage significantly higher- than-normal losses of their bee colonies during the 2021-22 winter season.
