Bee Overwintering Insurance Program deadline

Alberta’s beekeepers can protect their business from high winter losses in their bee colonies by purchasing Bee Overwintering Insurance before the June 20 application deadline.

Bee Overwintering Insurance, provided by the Alberta government through the Agriculture Financial Services Corporation (AFSC), is a valuable investment in business-risk-management. This insurance program, the only one of its kind in Western Canada, provides beekeepers with coverage for the loss of bees resulting from naturally occurring perils, including adverse weather, disease and pest infestation. Introduced last fall, the program has already provided insurance for approximately 44,000 bee colonies.
“We felt it was important to provide Alberta beekeepers with a program that would respond to the high occurrences of overwintering losses they have faced recently,” explained Brad Klak, President and Managing Director of AFSC.

Alberta is home to the highest number of honey producers in Canada, with almost 50 per cent of the country’s colonies and honey production. Since 2007, beekeepers have experienced higher than normal overwintering losses, making it difficult to maintain their hive count. Through consultations with the Alberta Beekeepers Commission, the Government of Alberta identified an opportunity to improve the current insurance protection available to Alberta’s beekeepers.

AFSC’s insurance, lending and risk management products and services respond to the government’s commitment to provide Alberta’s agriculture industry with relevant and effective risk management products and support the Government of Alberta’s plan for a strong economic recovery. Ensuring that our province’s industries are competitive and continue to attract investment to provide jobs and prosperity is part of The Way Forward.