Commercial beekeepers in Sask. impacted by colony losses receive $1M in support

CTV National News: Bee population decline The world’s honeybee population is declining and could have an effect on Canada’s agriculture. Bill Fortier reports.

Commercial beekeepers in Saskatchewan who faced colony losses in 2022 are receiving $1 million in support from the provincial and federal governments.

The funding is provided through the AgriRecovery program, a federal-provincial-territorial disaster relief body that helps agricultural producers with costs associated to recovering from disaster situations.

The $1 million addresses losses over 30 per cent in honeybee colonies Saskatchewan in 2022 due to dry conditions, colder winter temperatures, and higher cases of varroa mite activity, according to a release from the province.

Lawrence MacAulay, Canada’s minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food, said they want to make sure the industry stays strong, and said the funding will help offset some of the challenges the honey bee sector faced.

“Bees play a vital role in pollinating so many of our crops and are integral to the success of our Canadian agricultural system,” he said.

Saskatchewan is home to about 100,000 honeybee colonies, producing almost 20 million pounds of honey each year, the release said.

"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," Nathan Wendell, the president of the Saskatchewan Beekeepers Development Commission said.

“This support is greatly appreciated.”