Special Beekeepers Fund in Ontario Program (SBF)
Frequently Asked Questions
- What is the purpose of the Special Beekeepers Fund
in Ontario Program (SBF)?
- How much funding has been allocated to the SBF?
- Who is eligible for SBF funding?
- Is the SBF a competitive process?
- How do eligible beekeepers apply for SBF funding?
- What is the deadline to submit applications to participate
in the SBF?
- How much SBF funding will each eligible beekeeper
receive?
- Should I reduce my claimed losses by the provincial
average industry standard loss?
- When will I receive SBF payments?
- Will my SBF payment be counted towards any Canadian
Agricultural Income Stabilization (CAIS) funding I may receive?
- Do I need to be registered with the Ministry of
Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs prior to submitting my SBF application?
- How will my SBF allocation change as more colonies
of bees are registered as lost with the Ministry?
- I'm keeping the bees as a hobby, not as a business,
do I have to be registered to access SBF funding?
- Who do I contact if I have questions or need additional
information?
What is the purpose of the Special Beekeepers Fund in
Ontario Program (SBF)?
The purpose of the SBF is to help alleviate the financial pressures
faced by Ontario's beekeepers as a result of a higher than normal
mortality rate of Ontario honey bees in the 2006-07 winter season,
due to extraordinary winter conditions.
How much funding has been allocated to the SBF?
The government has committed up to $2.4 million in one-time funding
to the Special Beekeepers Fund in Ontario Program.
Who is eligible for SBF funding?
In order to access this one-time funding assistance through the
SBF, delivered by the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural
Affairs (OMAFRA), beekeepers must meet the following criteria:
Is the SBF a competitive process?
No, the SBF is an entitlement-based program. Any beekeepers in Ontario
who are registered with OMAFRA before submitting an application will
be considered. To be entitled to program funding, applicants must
have experienced bee colony losses greater than 15 per cent of their
active bee colonies as a direct result of the extraordinary winter
conditions from November 1, 2006 up to and including April 30, 2007.
How do eligible beekeepers apply for SBF funding?
Eligible beekeepers in Ontario wishing to participate in the SBF
should do so by completing an application and submitting it to the
Rural Community Development Branch of the Ministry before the application
deadline.
The application form is available on the Ministry's website at the
following address: www.omafra.gov.on.ca
These forms can also be requested by telephone from the Agricultural
Information Contact Centre at 1-877-424-1300 or by e-mail at: ag.info.omafra@ontario.ca
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What is the deadline to submit applications to participate
in the SBF?
The application deadline is 5:00 pm Eastern Standard Time
(EST) on August 8, 2007.
Completed applications should be post-marked on or before the application
deadline of 5:00 pm Eastern Standard Time (EST) on August 8, 2007
and submitted to the following address:
Special Beekeepers Fund
Rural Community Development Branch
Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs
4th Floor, 1 Stone Road West
Guelph, Ontario
N1G 4Y2
Note: SBF applications submitted after the application deadline of
5:00pm EST on August 8, 2007 closes will be deemed to be ineligible
and will not be processed for payment.
How much SBF funding will each eligible beekeeper receive?
Individual funding allocations under the SBF will be determined in
accordance with entitlement. The available $2.4 million in total SBF
funding will be evenly distributed across the number of colonies of
bees lost as a direct result of the extraordinary winter conditions
between November 1, 2006 and April 30, 2007.
Each applicant will receive a funding amount determined by the number
of lost colonies identified in their submitted applications net of
the 15 per cent assumed provincial average industry standard loss.
Although the level of provincial funding to each eligible Ontario
beekeeper cannot be determined until after the program application
deadline closes and the level of uptake is assessed, eligible beekeepers
will receive no greater than $225 per colony of lost bees above the
15 percent assumed provincial average industry standard loss.
Should I reduce my claimed losses by the provincial
average industry standard loss?
In the application, applicants need not deduct the
number of colonies of bees they are claiming as lost by the industry
standard loss of 15 per cent.
When completing the SBF program application form applicants should
provide the total number of colonies of bees lost
during the period from November 1, 2006 to April 30, 2007 as a direct
result of the extraordinary winter conditions.
As part of OMAFRA's application review and approval process, the
Ministry will deduct the 15 per cent from the number of colonies of
bees claimed as loss during the time period. The net loss will then
be used for the calculation of the funding amount entitlement for
each beekeeper.
When will I receive SBF payments?
After the SBF application deadline closes, Ministry staff will undertake
a thorough review of all applications that are submitted before the
application deadline to ensure SBF eligibility.
The one-time payments will be sent out to eligible Ontario beekeepers
approximately five (5) weeks after the application deadline of August
8, 2007 closes. .
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Will my SBF payment be counted towards any Canadian
Agricultural Income Stabilization (CAIS) funding I may receive?
Payments made to eligible Ontario beekeepers who are also registered
with the Canadian Agricultural Income Stabilization (CAIS) program
funding will be included in income calculations generated by CAIS.
Eligible beekeepers receiving SBF funding will receive from the Ministry
either an AGR-1 or income statement, depending on if the payments
are made to a corporation or individuals, for income tax purposes.
Do I need to be registered with the Ministry
of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs prior to submitting my SBF application?
Yes, in order to access one-time SBF assistance beekeepers in Ontario
must be registered with OMAFRA, as required under the Bees Act (R.S.O.
1990, Chapter B.6), prior to submitting their application.
How will my SBF allocation change as more colonies
of bees are registered as lost with the Ministry?
Since the available $2.4 million in total SBF funding will be evenly
distributed across the number of colonies of bees lost as a direct
result of the extraordinary winter conditions between November 1,
2006 and April 30, 2007, the per colony of bees unit compensation
amount is determined by the number of colonies of bees reported as
lost.
Although the level of provincial funding to each eligible Ontario
beekeeper cannot be determined until after the program application
deadline closes and the level of uptake is assessed, eligible beekeepers
will receive no greater than $225 per colony of lost bees above the
15 percent assumed provincial average industry standard loss.
I'm keeping the bees as a hobby, not as a business,
do I have to be registered to access SBF funding?
Registration with OMAFRA is required of all beekeeping operations
in Ontario. Whether the beekeeping is for hobby or profit, registration
with the Ministry is required under the Bees Act (R.S.O. 1990, Chapter
B.6).
Who do I contact if I have questions or need additional
information?
Any questions on the SBF program can be directed to OMAFRA's Agricultural
Information Contact Centre (AICC) from 8:00 am to 5:00 pm, Monday
to Friday, excluding statutory holidays.
The AICC can be reached toll free at: 1-877-424-1300, or by e-mail
at ag.info.omafra@ontario.ca
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For more information:
Toll Free: 1-877-424-1300
Local: (519) 826-4047
E-mail: ag.info.omafra@ontario.ca
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