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. 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
