In response to the recent challenges faced by Alberta’s beekeepers, Alberta Agriculture and Forestry is introducing a new Canadian Agricultural Partnership program.
The program will include up to $1 million to help beekeepers offset the costs of increased colony replacements due to COVID-19. The program, available this summer, will be retroactive to cover issues faced in spring 2020.
The COVID-19 pandemic has made importing colony replacements from usual, more affordable sources like New Zealand and Australia more difficult.
Program details are still being developed. Producers are encouraged to subscribe to Alberta’s Canadian Agricultural Partnership site, where information will be shared as it becomes available.
Quick facts
- Alberta is the largest producer of honey in Canada, producing 41 million pounds annually and contributing $67 million to the economy.
- The program will support 168 commercial beekeepers in
Alberta and will help the sector adapt to emerging challenges
and overcome over-wintering losses in a COVID-19
environment. - It is anticipated that the $1-million program will be able to support about 13,000 replacement colonies.
- The Canadian Agricultural Partnership is a five-year, $3-billion federal-provincial-territorial investment in the agriculture, agri-food and agri-based products sector.