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Funding boost pollinates innovations for bee hives and cranberries

Beekeepers looking for new ways to produce more honey, and cranberry producers seeking more pollinators, are two examples of the 28 projects that received more than $2.7 million in support.

An innovation project proposed by the University of the Fraser Valley (UFV) and the Worker Bee Honey Company was selected to receive $170,320 to support the development of an automated honey extraction information system to improve honey harvesting in B.C.

The proposed system will increase efficiency, reduce processing time and help address the shortage of skilled labour in the honey industry by automating harvesting through improved technology. The system will be able to monitor each hive’s honey yield and provide insight into superior breeding stock of male and queen bees, hive diseases, and the impact of environmental variables such as climate and weather on each hive. The results of this project will help beekeepers better care for their hives and improve honey yield.

Similarly, an innovation project submitted by the B.C. Cranberry Marketing Commission (BCCMC) was selected to receive $10,725 to support a study on pollination across different varieties of cranberries. Researchers are looking into how to increase cranberry yield through artificial pollination. They will monitor how often pollinators visit different varieties of plants during peak bloom which will help growers plan for future seasons.

Projects under the Canada-British Columbia Agri-Innovation Program have received over $5.3 million in funding from the Canadian Agricultural Partnership. The Partnership is a five-year federal-provincial-territorial agreement that includes $2 billion in cost-shared strategic initiatives delivered by the provinces and territories, and $1 billion for federal programs and services through March 2023.