Ontario and Canada to invest in honey bee health

Aug 08, 2023

The investment from the two governments will help improve Ontario's beekeeping competitiveness.

By Andrew Joseph, Farms.com; Photo by Brad Weaver on Unsplash

Ontario and the government of Canada have announced an investment of over $1.3 million via the Sustainable Canadian Agricultural Partnership (Sustainable CAP) to help improve the resiliency and competitiveness of beekeeper operations in Ontario.

"Honey bees and the producers who care for them play a vital role in the production and diversity of high-value agricultural crops in Ontario," explained the Honourable Lawrence MacAulay, the federal Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food. "Through this initiative, beekeepers will be able to access tools specific to their unique needs so they can continue building successful and sustainable beekeeping operations."

The new Honey Bee Health Initiative will help Ontario beekeepers maintain healthy honey bee colonies and will support them as they grow their number of colonies. Eligible activities also include equipment purchases or modifications of equipment that prevent the spread of disease and analysis work to support best management practices.

"Ontario beekeepers play an important role in honey production and maintaining healthy bee colonies, which in turn contributes to the pollination of Ontario crops," stated Lisa Thompson, the Minister of the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs (OMAFRA). "Our government is committed to working with our beekeepers to address sector challenges, explore new markets, and ensure the sector remains competitive."

The funding builds on previous programs, including the 2021 back-to-back Honey Bee Health Management Initiatives offered under the Canadian Agricultural Partnership (CAP). It also follows the recent commitment of $5 million through the AgriRecovery initiative, through Sustainable CAP, to help Ontario beekeepers offset extraordinary colony losses due to extreme weather conditions in 2021–22.

The initiative works via the Ontario Soil and Crop Improvement Association (OSCIA) and will contribute to the goals outlined in the Grow Ontario Strategy. The outcomes of this Initiative will contribute to increasing the amount of food grown and prepared in Ontario by 30 percent by 2032.

Sustainable CAP is a five-year (2023-2028) $3.5 billion investment by federal, provincial, and territorial governments to strengthen the competitiveness, innovation, and resiliency of the agriculture, agri‐food and agri-based product sectors. This includes $1 billion in federal programs and activities and a $2.5 billion commitment that is cost-shared 60 percent federally and 40 percent provincially and territorially for programs designed and delivered by the provinces and territories.

Video: Why Invest in Canada’s Seed Future? | On The Brink: Episode 3

Darcy Unger just invested millions to build a brand-new seed plant on his farm in Stonewall, Manitoba so when it’s time for his sons to take over, they have the tools they need to succeed.

Right now, 95% of the genetics they’ll be growing come from Canadian plant breeders.

That number matters.

When fusarium hit Western Canada in the late 90s, it was Canadian breeders who responded, because they understood Canadian conditions. That ability to react quickly to what’s happening on Canadian farms is exactly what’s at risk when breeding programs lose funding.

For farmers like Darcy, who have made generational investments based on the assumption that better genetics will keep coming, the stakes are direct and personal.

We’re on the brink of decisions that will shape our agricultural future for not only our generation, but also the ones to come.

What direction will we choose?

On The Brink is a year-long video series traveling across Canada to meet the researchers, breeders, farmers, seed companies, and policymakers shaping the future of Canadian plant breeding. Each week, a new story. Each story, a piece of the bigger picture.

Episode 3 is above. Follow Seed World Canada to catch every episode, and tell us: Do you think the next generation will have the tools they need to success when they takeover? How is the future going to look?