The federal and Ontario governments are investing up to $10 million, half each for grape growers and beekeepers.
The money is to offset extraordinary costs caused by
significant grapevine and bee
colony losses due to extreme weather conditions in 2021-22.
"Resuming operations after disaster events present
extraordinary costs for beekeepers and grape growers," said the federal
Agriculture Minister Marie-Claude Bibeau. "These initiatives will help to
mitigate the impacts of these unanticipated occurrences so that these producers
can recover and thrive."
This July, eligible Ontario grape growers can apply for
financial support under the Canada-
Ontario Grapevine Winter Injury Initiative (2021-2022) to
help recover from significant vine
damage and loss.
Vineyards suffered from drought, heavy rains and extreme
cold, from summer 2021 to winter 2022. The
initiative will provide funding for up to 70 per cent of the
costs of replacing or renewing
grapevines lost or damaged during the defined period.
“These new AgriRecovery initiatives are welcome news for
both sectors and will help our
grape growers and beekeepers recover from these extraordinary
events that occurred
beyond their control,” said Ontario Agriculture Minister
Lisa Thompson.
Supports for beekeepers will offset extraordinary costs
caused by abnormal conditions
during the 2021-22 winter, including severe weather and
varroa mite damage.
Beginning in July, eligible Ontario beekeepers can apply for
financial support through the Canada-Ontario
Overwinter Bee Colony Loss Replacement Initiative
(2021-2022) to manage increased bee
colony losses that occurred over the 2021-22 season.
Eligible beekeepers will receive up to
70 per cent of the high cost of purchasing bee colonies to
replace those impacted during
