Eligibility

Producers do not have to participate in the AgriInsurance program to be eligible.

This program covers damage caused by:

Eligible crops include:

The producer must contact MASC within 72 hours of the occurrence of the loss.

Baled hay must be gathered from the field and placed in an eligible storage site, unless the bales are intentionally left for winter grazing. If bales cannot be gathered due to wet field conditions, they remain eligible for wildlife damage compensation.

Eligible honey products include beehives and related equipment, honeybees, brood, and honey.

Eligible leafcutter products include leafcutter bee field shelters and their contents (nesting materials, equipment, eggs, and larvae). Shelters and related equipment must be in active service.

Crops intended or used as a lure crop or intercept feeding are not eligible.

Wildlife losses due to poor management or neglect are not covered.

Coverage

Wildlife compensation is limited to 90 per cent of the value of loss, other than for extended grazing forages.

Compensation is equal to the amount of lost or damaged production, multiplied by the AgriInsurance dollar value, multiplied by 90 per cent (45 per cent for extended grazing forage).

The amount of production loss is adjusted for quality based on a field sample.

Crops with Contract Price Option (CPO) coverage will receive compensation according to the CPO blended dollar value.

For damage to stored forages, compensation is determined by multiplying the tonnes of destroyed hay by the AgriInsurance dollar value for that type of hay, multiplied by 90 per cent.

Compensation for extended grazing forages is limited to 45 per cent of the value of loss on swathed or baled crops or forage, and suitable standing annual crops (e.g. corn) that are intended for grazing.

• Producers must have a grazing plan and use controls (e.g. fences) to control access.
• Eligibility ends when livestock have access.
• The crop must be suitable for livestock feed.

For clarity, compensation is NOT provided for:

• Hay left standing after it could have been harvested;
• Stockpiling or winter grazing of hay fields; and
• Pasture.

If honeybee and leafcutter bee products are destroyed, the compensation is based on actual losses at established prices, multiplied by 90 per cent.

For producers insured with MASC, the crop production that was lost due to wildlife damage is included as production in Individual Productivity Index (IPI) calculations, which prevents your insurance coverage from declining due to wildlife damage.

Values for all eligible products are based on AgriInsurance dollar values or values established by MASC in consultation with industry sources.

This program compensates for wildlife damage done in the field up to harvest, including any reduced value to the production due to wildlife faeces contamination.

Appeals

If you disagree with MASC’s second assessment, you have 7 days to appeal to the Appeal Tribunal.

To appeal an assessment, the appeal form (provided by MASC) must be accompanied by a letter explaining the reason for the appeal, and must be completed and delivered or sent by a delivery service that provides proof of delivery to the Appeal Tribunal. A copy of the appeal form must also be sent or delivered to MASC.

The notice must be received by the Appeal Tribunal and MASC before the end of the 7th day after the second appraisal. A $50.00 fee (refunded if the appeal is successful) must be included with the notice sent to the Appeal Tribunal.

You may appeal:

• MASC’s decision about the cause of loss or damage to agricultural, honey, or leafcutter bee products;
• MASC’s decision about the amount of production or the quantity of honey product or leafcutter bee product used to calculate the compensation payment;
• MASC’s refusal to make a crop or bee compensation payment for any of the reasons stated in “Ineligible Crops and Livestock”; and
• MASC’s assessment of the cause of death or injury to livestock.

Some issues are not subject to appeal. These include:

• dollar values for agricultural products or the value put on livestock or bee products;
• grade guarantees or quality adjustments;
• lure crops, and
• losses occurring outside of the dates set by the regulations.

Program Cost

Compensation for wildlife damage is 90 per cent of the value of the loss (45 per cent for extended grazing forages). Administration and compensation (up to 80 per cent of the value of loss) of this program is cost-shared by the Government of Canada (60 per cent) and the Province of Manitoba (40 per cent). The cost of compensation above 80 per cent is funded solely by the Province of Manitoba.