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Saskatchewan’s commercial beekeepers who were stung by heavy losses in 2022 are getting some help from the federal and provincial governments.
The two levels of government are providing a total of $1 million to commercial beekeepers in the province who suffered abnormally high colony losses in 2022.
The funding from the AgriRecovery program is to help producers who lost at least 30 per cent of their honeybee colonies across Saskatchewan last year.
That year, colonies were damaged by dry conditions, colder-than-normal temperatures over the winter, and higher levels of activity by varroa mites.
“Commercial beekeeping operations have a critical role in our ecosystem and are also integral to Saskatchewan’s agriculture industry, pollinating crops while being responsible for roughly one-fifth of Canada’s honey production,” David Marit, Saskatchewan’s agriculture minister, said in a media release.
“This assistance covers up to 70 per cent of the costs related to replacing lost stock and colonies and is the most efficient option for helping restore commercial production.”
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According to the release, Saskatchewan has around 100,000 bee colonies, which produce almost 20 million pounds of honey annually.
“Beyond their obvious economic contributions through honey production and crop pollination, bees have a unique natural role as the unsung heroes of not only the agriculture industry but the ecosystems in which we live and work,” Saskatchewan Beekeepers Development Commission president Nathan Wendell said in the release.
“This support is greatly appreciated, and will assist impacted provincial beekeepers as they continue to rebuild their operations, restore the viability of their colonies and resume their important contributions to a balanced and thriving environment.”
AgriRecovery is operated by the federal, provincial and territorial governments to help producers who face significant costs as they try to recover from disasters. The costs of AgriRecovery initiatives are split 60/40, with the federal government paying the larger share.
