Canada-Manitoba Bee Mortality Assistance Program
PROGRAM DESCRIPTION
The Canada-Manitoba Bee Mortality Assistance Program provides funding to Manitoba commercial beekeepers who experienced extraordinary costs due to overwinter losses during the winter of 2021/22.
Under the Sustainable Canadian Agricultural Partnership and AgriRecovery, commercial beekeepers, those with 50 or more hives, and registered with the province, can apply for funding for replacement colonies, nucleus colonies, package bees and/or queens.
APPLICATION DEADLINE
The application deadline is by 11:59 pm August 31, 2023
APPLICATION, GUIDE AND RESOURCES
Click the links below for the application worksheet and program resources.
| Application Worksheet to complete and submit |
| Program Guide for details on eligible and ineligible costs, as well as other program requirements |
| Factsheet providing an example of payment calculation |
| Video on how to apply and calculate payments |
WHO QUALIFIES
To be eligible for payments, beekeepers must:
- be an individual who is 18 years of age or older at the time of application, or a partnership, a corporation, a cooperative, a commune or a First Nation, and must not be a research station or government funded agency or institution.
- have a valid Manitoba Beekeeper Registration Number (as of November 1, 2021).
- have owned and prepared fifty (50) or more colonies for the 2021-2022 winter, as determined based on the November 1, 2021 inventory.
- have owned the eligible inventory and experienced extraordinary losses between November 1, 2021 and May 21, 2022.
- report farm income and expenses in Manitoba for income tax purposes
- be liable to pay income tax in Manitoba under the Income Tax Act (Canada) or is specifically exempted from filing income tax but is a permanent resident of Canada.
HOW TO APPLY
Complete the application worksheet and submit to agriculture@gov.mb.ca by August 31, 2023.
On your application worksheet,
- Record inventory of viable colonies on November 1, 2021 and May 21, 2022.
- List all replacement purchases between January 1, 2022 and June 30, 2023, including those for normal and extraordinary losses.
Producers must keep on file invoices and proof of payment and provide them if requested for audit and verification purposes.
AVAILABLE ASSISTANCE
Replacement colonies, nucleus colonies, package bees, and/or queens are eligible for payment when purchased to replace extraordinary losses over the winter of 2021/22. The lost and replacement purchases must be located in Manitoba to be eligible for payment.
The extraordinary loss is the number of colonies that exceeds the normal (>30%) portion of the winter loss mortality from November 1, 2021 to May 21, 2022.
Payments are based on replacements purchased between January 1, 2022 to June 30, 2023.
| 1 replacement= 1 full size colony= 1 nucleus colony= 1 bee package= 1 individual queen |
|---|
The payment rates for the extraordinary loss are based on the type of replacements purchased by the producer:
| Type of Replacement Stock | Payment Rate |
|---|---|
| Colonies (including nucleus colonies) | $210 |
| Packages | $140 |
| Queens (individual) | $35 |
Producers must demonstrate they purchased sufficient replacements to cover the normal winter loss for 2021/22. Replacements for normal winter losses, growth or losses over the winter of 2022/23 are not eligible.
WHO TO CONTACT
Manitoba Agriculture
AgriRecovery Bee Mortality Assistance
903-401 York Avenue
Winnipeg, MB R3C 0P8
Toll Free: 1-800-811-4411
Email: agriculture@gov.mb.ca