Canada-Alberta Bee Colony Replacement Assistance Initiative Q & As

AgriRecovery is a federal-provincial-territorial disaster relief framework to producers with the extraordinary costs associated with recovering from disaster situations. This program is not intended to cover income or production losses, recurring disaster events or replace the need for multi-year strategies to help industries adjust to long-term realities of a disaster. Eligible costs will be supported on the 60/40 federal/provincial cost-shared basis outlined under the Sustainable Canadian Agricultural Partnership.

Bee Colony Replacement Assistance Q&As

Program basics

Q: What does the 2022 Canada-Alberta Bee Colony Replacement Assistance Initiative cover?

The purpose of this initiative is to provide compensation to eligible commercial beekeepers that purchased replacement colonies, bee packages and queens as a result of the extraordinary losses of colonies during the winter of 2021-2022 due to extreme weather and varroa mite infestation.

Eligibility

Q: What are the eligibility requirements for the initiative?

To be eligible to participate in the initiative:

Participants must:

• Be an individual who is at least 18 years of age; either a Canadian citizen or a permanent resident of Canada; and resident in Alberta; or be a corporation whose majority of voting shareholders are resident in Alberta;
• Report farm income and expenses in Alberta for income tax purposes. Applicants who are not required to file farm income tax must provide documentation that demonstrates the production and sale of agricultural commodities;and
• Agree to be bound by the Terms and Conditions

Additionally, participants must:

• Be a registered commercial beekeeper, owning 100 or more colonies;
• Have colonies registered with the Alberta Provincial Apiculturist as of June 30, 2021 and wrapped for winter 2021-22;
• Meet all legislative and regulatory requirements set out under the Bee Act;
• Have experienced an extraordinary overwinter colony loss for the winter of 2021-22;
• Have purchased replacement nucleus colonies, bee packages or queens; and
• Have retained documentation to support the colony purchases. This must be available upon request for verification purposes.

Application process

Q: How do I apply?

Participants are strongly encouraged to apply online using AFSC Connect for faster service. Individuals who do not wish to use the online form should contact the AFSC Client CAre Centre at 1.877.899.2372 or call an AFSC branch office to discuss their options.

Q: I am not a current AFSC client, and I do not have an AFSC Connect account. What do I need to do to participate?

Beekeepers who are not currently AFSC clients will need to be set up as AFSC clients. Please start the set-up process on the Getting ready for AgriRecovery page. (Page opens in a new window.)

Q: I am a current AFSC client, but I do not have an AFSC Connect account. What do I need to do so I am ready for the application?

Beekeepers who are current AFSC clients should ensure they have an AFSC Connect account and are signed up for direct deposit to receive program payments as quickly as possible.

• Instructions for creating an AFSC Connect account are available on the AFSC website How to Create, Login, and Update Your AFSC Connect Account. (pdf opens in a new window.)
• Instructions for setting up direct deposit for payments are also available on the AFSC website Receiving a Payment from AFSC by Direct Deposit (pdf opens in a new window.)

Q: What information will I need to provide on application?

You will need to provide your annual Alberta beekeeper registration number, issued by the Provincial Apiculturist.

You will need to provide information about your bee colonies, including:

• number of colonies registered as of June 30, 2021
• number of colonies put into winter in fall 2021
• number of viable colonies that survived to the spring 2022
• number of colonies registered as of June 30, 2022
• number of colonies put into winter in the fall 2022

You will also need to provide:

• the number of colonies, bee packages or queens purchased
• the purchase date (purchases must have been made between January 1, 2022 and May 1, 2023 to be eligible)
• the amount of the purchase expense

Q: What is the deadline to apply?

The application deadline is July 31, 2023.

Payment calculation

Q: How will the payment be calculated?

Eligible participants will receive a payment based on bee purchases made, up to the number of qualified colonies.

Calculation of qualified colonies:

• Colonies put into winter in the fall 2021 – viable colonies in the spring 2022 = Lost Colonies
• Lost colonies – (Number of colonies put into the winter in the fall of 2021 X 30% Normal Loss) = qualified colonies

Q: How much will I receive for each eligible colony I purchased?

Beekeepers will receive up to $210/colony (including nucleus colonies), $140 per bee package or $35 per queen for each eligible item purchased between January 1, 2022 and May 1, 2023.

Q:  When would only 2022 purchases be taken into consideration for the calculation?

If the colonies put into winter 2022 are equal or greater than the colonies put into winter 2021, no 2023 purchases will be eligible for compensation.

Calculation of benefit when only the 2022 eligible purchases are considered:

Number of colonies put into winter in fall 2021	1,200
Number of viable colonies that survived to spring 2022	700
Number of colonies put into winter in fall 2022	1,200

Qualified colonies (maximum number of colonies to be considered for compensation)

• (1,200 – 700) – (1,200 x 0.30) = 140

Q: When will 2023 purchases be taken into consideration for the calculation?

If the colonies put into winter 2022 are less than the colonies put into winter 2021, any colonies purchased in 2023 equal or less than the difference between the 2021 and 2022, will be considered in the pool of colonies to be reimbursed for qualified colonies.

The colony purchases in 2022 and the eligible 2023 colony purchases will be pooled as one and ranked based on the highest cost category first up to the total number of qualified colonies.

Calculation of benefit with 2022 and 2023 eligible purchases:

Number of colonies put into winter in fall 2021	1,200
Number of viable colonies that survived to spring 2022	700
Number of colonies put into winter in fall 2022	1,100

Qualified colonies (maximum number of colonies to be considered for compensation)

• (1200 – 700) – (1200 x 0.30) = 140

Maximum 2023 bee purchases eligible to considered for compensation (difference between colonies put into winter 2021 compared to colonies put into winter 2022)

• 1,200 – 1,100 = 100

Q: Am I able to claim bee purchases I made and then resold to others?

Only include purchases for replacement of qualified colonies. Purchases for resale are not eligible for compensation in this program.

Q: Will I need to provide receipts?

Participants will need to provide proof of expense, if requested. Beekeepers unable to provide proof of expense will be required to pay back any funds paid out.

General questions

Q: What should I do if I realize I made an error on the information I have submitted on the application?

If you realize you have made an error on the information you have submitted, email AgriRecovery@afsc.ca and include the following information in your email:

• Applicant name and AFSC ID, if known.
• Details of information that requires updating.

An AFSC team member will reach out to you if any additional clarification is required.

Q: Will I be audited?

All audits will be random. Participants selected for audit will be notified of the information required to complete the audit.

Q: Who do I contact for more information?

For additional information, contact AFSC using online chat, call our Client Care Centre at 1.877.899.2372, email AgriRecovery@afsc.ca or contact your preferred branch office. AFSC is available to answer your questions and assist you.