The governments of Alberta and Canada are working together to help beekeepers struggling because of extreme cold weather and invasive varroa mites.
Alberta is the largest honey-producing province in Canada, making almost four out of every ten jars of the country’s honey in 2022. Bees are essential for pollinating crops and are a growing part of the agriculture industry.
During the winter of 2021-2022, Alberta’s beekeepers had a tough time. The cold weather and varroa mites, an external parasitic mite that attacks and feeds on honey bees, caused many beekeepers to lose a lot of hives.
Some beekeepers reported losing as much as half of their bees, which is almost double the usual winter losses of about 27 percent.
To help beekeepers, the Agricultural Financial Services Corporation (AFSC) created the Canada-Alberta Bee Colony Replacement Assistance Initiative program.
This program is part of the AgriRecovery program and will compensate eligible beekeepers who bought replacement bees, bee packages, or queen bees between January 1, 2022, and May 1, 2023.
“…This program will help our beekeepers mitigate some of their costs after a tough couple of winters and continue to produce the honey in demand across the world,” RJ Sigurdson, the Minister of Agriculture and Irrigation, told rdnewsNow.
AgriRecovery is a program that helps farmers recover from disasters. It is a partnership between the federal, provincial, and territorial governments.
The program’s costs will be shared, with the federal government covering 60 percent and the provincial government covering the remaining 40 percent.
“Beekeepers and healthy bee populations play a vital role in the sustainable production of many high-value agricultural crops…,” said Marie-Claude Bibeau, the federal Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada.
Beekeepers in Alberta who have 100 or more bee colonies and are registered under Alberta’s Bee Act may be eligible for compensation.
The Alberta Beekeepers Commission (ABC) thanked the governments for their support. Connie Phillips, the Executive Director of ABC, expressed her appreciation.
“The ABC is grateful for the effort and support…in advocating on the commission’s behalf following one of the most devastating overwintering losses in 2021-22…,” commented Phillips.
Beekeepers who want to apply for the program must submit their application forms and supporting documents by July 31. They can do it online, in person at a branch office, or by fax.
Last year, Alberta beekeepers produced over 30 million pounds of honey, a decrease from the previous year.
It’s not all bad news, though. Exports of honey from Alberta increased, with Japan being the largest market, followed by the United States.
