Honey Bee Health Initiative gets additional funding

Ontario’s Honey Bee Health Initiative is getting a funding increase of up to $1 million to help improve the resiliency and competitiveness of beekeeper operations in the province.

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The additional funding comes from the Sustainable Canadian Agricultural Partnership (Sustainable CAP). The Honey Bee Health Initiative initially opened on September 15, 2023 with a budget of over $1.3 million. To date, 218 projects have been approved.

The additional funding will help more Ontario beekeepers better protect their colonies over the winter and protect against invasive pests such as varroa mites which pose a serious threat to honey bee health, the federal and provincial governments said in a release.

The initiative is delivered by the Ontario Soil and Crop Improvement Association (OSCIA) and will directly contribute to the goals outlined in the Grow Ontario Strategy, OMAFRA said. The outcomes of the initiative will help to support food supply chain stability.

“Ontario’s beekeepers and the honey bee industry are integral parts of Ontario’s food supply and food security,” Ian Grant, president of the Ontario Beekeepers’ Association (OBA), said in the release.

Ontario beekeepers can apply for cost-share funding under the initiative as of June 3, 2024 and the intake will remain open until funding is allocated. Up to 50 per cent of the costs of approved projects may be funded under the initiative. Ontario beekeepers with fewer than 50 colonies are eligible for up to $4,500 total on approved projects and beekeepers with 50 or more colonies are eligible for up to $25,000.

Eligible applicants will be required to provide evidence of completing a pest management course related to Ontario honey bees from a recognized institution.