Insurance may cover hive beetle damage Thursday, May 12, 2011 by PAT CURRIEAgricorp, the Ontario government agency that provides crop insurance, has announced that Ontario honey producers with production insurance or AgriStability coverage who have been affected by small hive beetle infestations (and associated quarantines) may be eligible for a claim or benefit.Production insurance customers with pest infestation damage should contact Agricorp as soon as it occurs, the agency said. Applications are due by June 30, 2011, and producers can contact Agricorp to request priority processing of their files. A native of sub-Saharan Africa, the small hive beetle larvae tunnel through honeycombs, spoiling honey with their excrement. The pest has spread to the United States (where it was first identified in 1998 and to Australia in 2002. It has been found in Alberta, Quebec and Manitoba and was found in Ontario in 2010. According to a fact sheet from the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs, it is not known whether the pest will establish a resident population in the province.All infested apiaries are located in Essex County, close to the border with Michigan. A quarantine zone has been established by the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs. The quarantine prohibits the movement of honey bees out of the area to protect bees in other parts of the province from becoming infested.The only registered treatment for small hive beetle in Canada is through the use of CheckMite+, a trademarked pesticide that is toxic to humans and bees, requires care in its use and may not completely eliminate an infestation, Agriculture Canada has warned. BF 'You can't cancel that' Agricorp appoints new directors
Saskatchewan Startup Unveils Portable Device to Detect Crop Diseases in the Field Friday, May 29, 2026 With global crop losses from pests and diseases reaching as high as 40 percent annually, a Saskatchewan-based startup is working to equip farmers with faster, more practical tools to protect their yields. PathoScan Technologies, founded in Saskatoon, has developed a portable... Read this article online
Falling Behind on Direct Alcohol Shipping Deadline Friday, May 29, 2026 Canada’s small alcohol producers are growing increasingly frustrated as a promised timeline for direct-to-consumer (DTC) alcohol shipping reforms approaches with little visible progress. The Canadian Federation of Independent Business (CFIB) is calling out federal and provincial... Read this article online
Rural Canada Is Critical to Trade, Food Security and Economic Recovery Friday, May 29, 2026 Canada is facing global instability, affordability pressures and growing urgency to rebuild its economic foundations. Rural Canada is one of the country’s most important economic assets. Although only about 16% to 18% of Canadians live in rural communities, leaders say those regions... Read this article online
Feds say Provinces Need to Act on Interprovincial Alcohol Sales Friday, May 29, 2026 Canada’s federal government is intensifying pressure on provinces and territories to complete negotiations and implement direct-to-consumer alcohol sales, a move expected to benefit agricultural producers, small businesses, and consumers across the country. The statement comes out... Read this article online
$15.1M to Scale Whole-Cut Plant-Based Protein Wednesday, May 27, 2026 Protein Industries Canada has announced a $15.1 million co-investment in a multi-partner project aimed at scaling advanced manufacturing technology for whole-cut protein alternatives and strengthening Canada’s domestic agri-food value chain. The initiative brings together NS/TX... Read this article online