This is a record that has never been broken in Quebec: throughout the winter, almost sixty percent of the bees in the province perished. Beekeepers see the current scenario as “critical” and “worrying” for both themselves and all other farmers whose livelihoods are dependent on pollination. On Wednesday, they submitted assistance requests to the government asking for a total of $12 million. During a news conference, Martin Caron, who is the general president of the Union of Agricultural Producers of Quebec, emphasized the significance of bees in the agricultural industry.

“Pollination is essential not just in Quebec but also all across the globe, whether it be for fruit trees, for tiny fruits like strawberries and raspberries, for canola, or for squash. “In order to pollinate, we need bees,” he said. Mr. Caron continued by saying, “The situation as it is right now is pretty serious.”

The natural course of events during the cold months is for bees to perish. Since the beginning of this decade, beekeepers have suffered yearly losses of twenty percent of their whole stock, on average. The farmers, on the other hand, are dealing with an “extraordinary” scenario this year.

Some have seen a loss of up to 80 percent of their bees, particularly as a result of the illness known as Varroa destructor, which is contagious among beehives. According to Raphael Vacher, who is the president of the Apiculteurs et apicultrices du Québec, “We are talking about an incredibly serious subject relating to food security.” “Pollinators are responsible for one-third of the food on our plate. In a sad turn of events, the administration is resting on its achievements. He has not yet staged an intervention, and there are currently no plans in place to provide assistance.

He is taking a major risk with regard to the eating habits of people in Quebec. Mr. Vacher is requesting an investment from the provincial and federal governments over the next two to three weeks in order to provide farmers the opportunity to rescue their growing season. With this money, beekeepers will be able to purchase fresh bees to help restore their hives. An additional portion of the budget will be devoted to the search for treatments for the Varroa destructor.