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Ontario Provides Funding to Address Bee Loss

By Amanda Brodhagen, Farms.com

Ontario announced that it will give one-time monetary assistance to beekeepers who have experienced significant bee loss during the harsh winter months.

Beekeepers who have 10 hives or more and lose over 40 per cent of their colonies between Jan. 1, 2014 to Oct. 31, 2014 will be eligible for funding. The province has pledged to compensate $105 per hive. For now, the funding is a one-time deal and it is unknown if the province will consider offering similar packages in the future.

“We want to keep honey bee colonies strong going into the growing season while we continue working with the industry to support long-term sustainability for beekeepers and the health of all pollinators,” Kathleen Wynne, Premier and Minister of Agriculture and Food said in a release.

In the same release, the Ontario Beekeepers Association suggests that bee loss is a result of the long winter and “inappropriate use of neonicotinoid pesticides.”

According to the government release, there are approximately three thousand registered beekeepers that manage about 10,000 bee colonies in the province.

In order to qualify, beekeepers must fill out an application form.

Eligibility criteria includes:

• In addition to having at least 10 hives or more, the hives must be registered with Provincial Apiarist.
• Have more than 40 per cent bee loss.
• Have an Agricorp and Premises deification number  
• Provide proof through an attestation stating that they have followed best beekeeping practices and that the deaths are not a result of other factors (i.e. wildlife, vandalism, intentional death or negligence).

The province says forms will be available by May 16, 2014.


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StoneX projects a monster U.S. 2025 corn yield at 186.9 bpa, while the USDA provided no big surprises in the July crop report. A lack of U.S. trade deals/ag purchase agreements after 3-months but rather an escalation/threat in tariffs with 30% to Japan, 25% on South Korea, 35% for Canada and 50% for Brazil/copper is weighing on fund ag sentiment.

Regardless, funds after 3 years continue to chase and pile into Bitcoin ETF’s and the AI trade with NVDA both at new all time record highs and NVDA hitting the $4 trillion market cap first.

U.S. weather remains non-threatening for July and dry areas of Northern Illinois are getting rain.

Western Canada is expected to get periodic rains every 3-4 days with no excessive heat, but farmers are complaining that the rain chances very seldom materialize.

U.S. border to Mexican feeder cattle closes again to screwworm and should remain closed but this combined with new U.S. tariffs for Brazil means less supplies and a continuation of the bull market in cattle.