Toronto, Ontario - Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada
The governments of Canada and Ontario are increasing funding to the Honey Bee Health Initiative by up to $1 million to help improve the resiliency and competitiveness of beekeeper operations in Ontario. 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 Honey Bee Health Initiative, made possible through the Sustainable Canadian Agricultural Partnership (Sustainable CAP), initially opened on September 15, 2023 with a budget of over $1.3 million. To date, 218 projects have been approved. This initiative builds on previous programs, such as the back-to-back Honey Bee Health Management initiatives offered under the Canadian Agricultural Partnership (CAP).
This 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. The outcomes of this initiative will help to support food supply chain stability.
Sustainable CAP is a 5-year (2023-2028), $3.5-billion investment by federal, provincial and territorial governments to strengthen competitiveness, innovation, and resiliency of Canada's agriculture, agri‐food and agri‐based products sector. This includes $1 billion in federal programs and activities and a $2.5 billion commitment cost-shared 60% federally and 40% provincially/territorially for programs designed and delivered by the provinces and territories.
