Canadian government invests in bee health

Parliamentary Secretary Pierre Lemieux announced an investment of over $250,000 to the Centre de recherche en sciences animales de Deschambault (CRSAD) to help position Canada as a world leader in beekeeping research. This research is geared towards optimizing the profitability of honeybee colonies and maintaining healthy bee populations in our agricultural regions.

 

The Centre will test the effects of probiotic supplements on bee health, paving the way for the future commercialization of feed additives that will result in healthier, more productive pollinators.

 

This investment is made through the Industry-led Research and Development stream of Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada’s (AAFC) AgriInnovation Program, a five-year, up to $698-million initiative underGrowing Forward 2.

 

"Our Government continues to make significant investments in research to protect the health of our bees because a healthy bee population is integral to a successful harvest, a prosperous agriculture industry and a strong economy" said Parliamentary Secretary Pierre Lemieux

 

"In partnership with the Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada’s Beaverlodge Research Farm, this project will focus on the development of sustainable alternative strategies to control some particularly insidious diseases that are responsible for major losses of bee colonies. The benefits for Canadian bee producers are potentially huge and will affect many other crops in Canada" said Jean-Paul Laforest, President of the CRSAD