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Deadline March 15: Provincial Beekeeper Extraordinary Expense Program

The Beekeeper Extraordinary Expense (BEE) Program provides financial assistance for eligible commercial producers to purchase replacement colonies due to extraordinary honeybee colony loss during the 2021/2022 winter.

Payment Details

Eligible commercial producers who have experienced an extraordinary loss of colonies are able to apply for payment for replacement colonies purchased between January 1, 2022, and June 30, 2023. An extraordinary loss is defined as more than 30 per cent of inventory loss over the 2021-22 winter. The total number of replacement colonies an applicant is eligible for is dependent on the amount of extraordinary colony loss experienced. Program payments are subject to a minimum of $150 per application. Each applicant has a maximum program payment cap of $300,000 for the BEE program.

Applicant Eligibility

To be eligible to participate in the program, a producer must meet all of the following criteria:

  • Is an individual who is 18 years of age or older, a corporation, a partnership or a First Nation Band who owns all or a percentage of eligible bee colonies;
  • Reports the majority of farm income from commercial beekeeping operations;
  • Have filed an income tax return in Saskatchewan including income from commercial beekeeping in the year of the application or the year prior to the application;
    • For applicants not required to file farm income tax, documentation demonstrating the production and sale of agricultural commodities in Saskatchewan must be provided;
  • Is a commercial beekeeper that ordinarily has at least 100 colonies;
  • Is in compliance with all plans from the Saskatchewan Ministry of Agriculture’s Agricultural Operations Unit, as required; and
  • Have a Saskatchewan Premises Identification (PID) number.

The following groups are not eligible for funding:

  • Producers who are not registered commercial beekeepers;
  • Producers with no recent history of owning bees;
  • Research stations; and
  • Universities or any other government-funded agency or institution.

Persons related to an eligible applicant will be subject to the program’s maximum funding cap and maximum replacement colonies for the eligible applicant.

  • The maximum amount that may be paid to an eligible applicant, including persons related to an eligible applicant, may not exceed the maximum funding cap or maximum number of replacement colonies per applicant/related entity over the life of the program.
  • “Related applicants” include but are not limited to spouses, business partners, relatives living in the same residence, individuals/entities which have controlling interests in more than one operation and operations not legally, financially or operationally sufficiently independent of other entities.
  • In determining whether a person/entity is a related applicant, the ministry may consider the following factors.
  • For more information about related entities please send an email to agprograms@gov.sk.ca or contact the Agriculture Knowledge Centre at 1-866-457-2377.

Eligibility Calculation

The following formulas are used to calculate overwinter loss per cent and the maximum replacement colonies an applicant is eligible for. This is for informational purposes only and will be automatically calculated on the application form. All numbers are reported to the nearest whole number.

Hive Inventory Definitions:

  • Beginning Hive Inventory: As of October 31, 2021.
  • Ending Hive Inventory: As of May 15, 2022.
    • Do not include replacement colonies purchased prior to May 15, 2022, in the ending hive inventory.

Overwinter Loss Per Cent:

((Beginning Hive Inventory – Ending Hive Inventory)/Beginning Hive Inventory) x 100

Maximum Eligible Replacement Colonies:

(Beginning Hive Inventory X (Overwinter Loss Per Cent / 100)) – (Beginning Hive Inventory X 0.30)

Eligible Expenses

Replacement stock is only eligible if purchased between January 1, 2022, and June 30, 2023. Each applicant has a maximum number of replacement colonies they are eligible for based on the amount of extraordinary loss experienced. One replacement is defined as a full colony, nucleus colony, bee package or queen bee.

In the event the number of replacement colonies being claimed is greater than the maximum eligible replacement colonies, the colonies with the highest maximum payment will be rebated first.

The replacement stock and the bees being replaced must be Canadian-owned. All bees being replaced must have been owned prior to January 1, 2022, and must not have been previously enrolled in the program.

Replacement StockMaximum Payment
Colonies (Nucleus or full)$210
Bee Packages$140
Individual Queens$35

Ineligible Expenses

  • Purchases made prior to January 1, 2022.
  • Purchases made after June 30, 2023.
  • Shipping or transportation.
  • Expansion or splitting of hives.
  • Purchases of bee equipment.
  • Costs claimed for expenses/activities which may receive funding under other Sustainable Canadian Agricultural Partnership programs, insurance program claims or any other government grant, rebate or assistance program.

Apply

Applications will begin to be accepted on December 12, 2023. The deadline to apply to the program is March 15, 2024.

Copies of invoices are required for each eligible expense included in the application form. Please submit copies of invoices as originals will not be returned. Proof of payment may be requested in the form of bank/credit card statements or processed cheque images from your financial institution. Copies of the seller’s inspection and sales permits for replacement colonies must be provided upon request.

Note: It is recommended this application form is saved to your computer before entering your information.

Completed application packages can be submitted by email to agprograms@gov.sk.ca or mail to:
Beekeeper Extraordinary Expense Program
Ministry of Agriculture, Programs Branch
329 – 3085 Albert Street
Regina SK  S4S 0B1

BEE_Application_2023

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