The provincial government is taking funding applications from beekeepers, beekeeping associations and regional/community based organizations starting today to support projects aimed at protecting bees health and habitat.
Projects are eligible for up to $5,000 and can include providing education, planting bee-specific forage and new technology and innovations to protect bees health, according to the province.
“Bees play a role in the everyday life of British Columbians and a vital role in our agricultural industry,” said Lana Popham, minister of agriculture, food and fisheries. “Farmers rely on bees to pollinate their crops and consumers rely on farmers to put fresh produce on their plates, so the work B.C. beekeepers do to keep our bee populations healthy is important to all citizens.”
The last round of funding from the province supported projects including testing effectiveness of seaweed extract supplement to help increase hive size and reduce disease levels among blueberry pollinator bees on the south coast.
It also included a mass nectar tree and flower planting project on the Gulf Islands and an education program in the Kootenays area, the province said.
The Bee BC program is administered by the Investment Agriculture Foundation on behalf of the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Fisheries. It provides funding to small-scale, community-based projects for research, exploration, field tests and shares information about nest management practices for bee health.
“By supporting these projects, we are helping future generations of bees and ensuring food security in B.C,” Popham said.
