Alberta Agriculture and Forestry is introducing a new Canadian Agricultural Partnership Program for beekeepers.

The program will include up to $1 million to help beekeepers offset the costs of increased colony replacements due to COVID-19. 

The COVID-19 pandemic has made importing colony replacements from usual, more affordable sources like New Zealand and Australia more difficult.

The program, available this summer, will be retroactive to cover issues faced in the spring of 2020.

Program details are still being worked out but producers are encouraged to subscribe to Alberta’s Canadian Agricultural Partnership site, where information will be shared as it becomes available.

Alberta is the largest producer of honey in Canada, producing 41 million pounds annually and contributing $67 million to the economy.