To support and improve the overall health of managed honeybees and Ontario's beekeeping sector, the Canadian and Ontario governments have launched a new targeted beekeeper intake.
When it comes to maintaining bee health and agricultural productivity on Ontario farms, the beekeeping industry plays a critical role. The new 50% cost sharing intake under the Canadian Agricultural Partnership (The Partnership) program will benefit beekeepers with 10 or more colonies registered with the Provincial Apiarist and will open on June 21, 2021.
Beekeepers will be able to apply for financing to help support honeybee health and commercial capability. Financing support will be available for the following:
- Purchase equipment to prevent illness introduction and transmission, as well as to help bees survive the winter.
- Pest and disease sampling and analysis to encourage the use of integrated pest management and other best management practises.
- Purchase of domestically raised queens to assist in building the resilience of the industry.
- Business assistance to help beekeepers expand their operations.
The following are some of the changes that will be implemented as part of the new intake:
- To reflect the increasing expense demands of commercial operations, a new limit will allow commercial beekeepers to earn up to $10,000 in cost share funds (50 colonies or more).
- The initiative will continue to give up to $3,500 in cost-share funding for businesses with less than 50 colonies.
- Applicants can be authorised for a maximum of two applications under the new intake.
- Eligible costs include honey extraction equipment and activities relevant to COVID-19 recovery. For example, supporting the development of websites for online sales and producing Ontario stock to mitigate difficulty in accessing queens or worker bees due to COVID-19.
To account for the seasonality of the beekeeping business and the interval between purchasing and receiving produce, project eligibility will continue to encompass multi-year projects (such as honeybee stock, which may be delivered several months after purchase). Due to the seasonality of this new intake and its duration, equipment and stock will need to be acquired during the first year.
Intake forms can be found on the Ontario Soil & Crop Improvement Association Website:
https://ontarioprogramguides.net/category/producer/apiculture/.