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Program Objectives -
Eligible Applicant
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Application Process
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Canadian Environmental Assessment Act (CEAA)
Financial Assistance
Eligible Projects
Applicant Claiming Process
Project Evaluation
Appeals
Application Form and Printable Guidelines
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Program Objectives
The objective of the Orchard and Vineyard Transition Program
(OVTP) is to assist producers in the removal of less desirable
fruit trees or grapevines to aid in adaptation to industry
pressures and changing markets.
Eligible Applicant
To be eligible for the Orchard and Vineyard Transition
Program (OVTP), the following requirements must be met:
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possess a current farm registration under
the Farm Registration Act; |
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be participating in the Environmental Farm Plan (EFP)
Program, at minimum signed up to have an EFP completed; |
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own/lease a minimum of 0.5 hectares (1.24 acres) of
orchard/vineyard that is reporting production in the
Province of Nova Scotia. In the case of a lease arrangement,
the lease must be a minimum duration (of 5 years); |
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will remove at least one half (0.5) acre of orchard/vineyard. |
Application Process:
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Read the Guidelines and application carefully. |
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Applications can be submitted by mail, fax, or in
person. Only one application per registered farm per
program year will be considered for processing. |
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If there is a landlord/tenant agreement in effect,
both the owner and producer must sign the application.
In addition, a signed letter from the owner of the property
must accompany the application acknowledging the intent
of the tenant to remove the trees/vines. |
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Applications will be reviewed and processed in sequence
based on the date the application was deemed complete. |
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A pre-inspection must be completed before the removal
project begins. Projects without a pre-inspection will
not be eligible for assistance. |
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Upon approval, applicants will receive a Letter of
Agreement (LOA) identifying eligible project activities,
assistance offered, and the terms and conditions of
accepting the assistance offered. |
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Once the LOA is received, please sign and return to
the PBRM office before project work begins. |
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If you have any questions, please contact the Programs
and Business Risk Management (PBRM) office. |
Note: Completed applications must be approved
by the PBRM office before starting project activities. Applications
will be reviewed on a first come, first served basis.
Applicants are responsible for ensuring the accuracy of
their application. All activities must be conducted in an
environmentally sound manner. Regardless of any involvement
in the Environmental Farm Plan, the applicant is responsible
to seek out regulatory requirements, obtain required permits,
and ensure environmental compliance for any project under
this program.
Canadian Environmental
Assessment Act (CEAA): If a plant removal project
could negatively impact any fish-bearing water bodies, an
Environmental Assessment may be triggered. Additional Federal
guidelines regarding compliance with the CEAA are available
from the Program administrator. If the project location
is in an erosion prone area (e.g., steep slope) and in the
vicinity of fish-bearing water bodies, applicants should
contact Department of Fisheries and Oceans (1-902-244-6079).
Financial
Assistance:
Funding for this Program is provided by the Government
of Canada. Funding for OVTP has been secured through Nova
Scotia’s funding support for the development of the
industry. Volume of applications and budget amounts will
determine the closure of the program in any year.
Note: If an applicant accesses the OVTP for a plant removal
project, they may not access the Farm Investment Fund (FIF)
for the same activity.
Projects approved through this Program may attract a maximum
of $4,000 per hectare ($1,618.74 per acre). All funding
is on a cost-shared basis. The funding received by the applicant
from any Federal, Provincial, or Municipal government sources
may not exceed eighty (80) percent of the removal costs.
The maximum funding that can be received by one producer
is $800,000 over the life of the Program.
Approved assistance that is not claimed cannot be carried
forward from one program year to the next. Assistance does
not include HST/GST.
Funding claimed through this Program may be used to offset
any debt(s) the applicant has owing to the Crown in Right
of Canada and the Crown in Right of the Province of Nova
Scotia.
Eligible Projects:
Projects eligible for assistance under this Program are
the removal of fruit trees (apple, peach, pear, plum, and
cherry) and grapevines. The area targeted for removal must
have been a commercial orchard or vineyard. Very low density
plantings may not qualify for funding, or may qualify at
a reduced level, as determined by the Program administrator.
To be eligible for funding, no portion of the tree
removal activities may begin before the pre-inspection is
completed.
New orchard plantings (five years or less) that received
assistance from the Honeycrisp™ Orchard Renewal Program
are not eligible for funding through the Orchard and Vineyard
Transition Program.
The area that has been funded for tree/vine removal under
this Program must be kept in agriculture or available for
agriculture for a five-year period, commencing once the
removal activity has begun.
Completed
removal projects will be inspected based on the following
criteria: |
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The upper scion portion of the trees and
vines must be removed and destroyed. |
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The stump and as much of the roots as reasonably possible
must be removed and destroyed. Plant material must be
disposed of according to provincial and local regulations. |
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Upon post-inspection, if the work identified
above is not completed in entirety, a partial payment
can be applied at the discretion of the Program administrator. |
All projects must meet the requirements of the Canadian
Environmental Assessment Act (CEAA) and not violate any
other Provincial, Federal, or Municipal jurisdictional legislation.
Applicant
Claiming Process:
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Upon completion of the project, the applicant
must submit an OVTP Claim Form for work that has been
completed. This will trigger a post-inspection in support
of payment. All claims must be received by March
1, 2010. |
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A signed copy of the Letter of Agreement must be on
file. |
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All physical projects must be viewed (post-inspection)
prior to release of payment. |
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The applicant consents to the release of his/her name
and the amount of support received under the Program
as public information, to be actively disseminated by
the Department of Agriculture. |
Project Evaluation:
Review and evaluation of projects may be carried out by
officials of the Department of Agriculture or other parties
chosen by the Department of Agriculture, for the purposes
of audit, analysis, evaluation, program development and
determining assistance. This review and evaluation process
may be conducted prior to project commencement, during work
or upon project completion.
The Department of Agriculture may monitor your property
to ensure that the acreage from which plant stock has been
removed remains in agriculture, or available for agriculture,
for the required five-year period.
Appleals:
Appeals may be directed to the Appeal Committee for consideration.
Appeals must be submitted within 90 days of the end of the
program year.
If you have questions regarding this program please contact
our office.
The application form below is
available as a download in Adobe Acrobat (PDF file) format.
If you do not have Adobe Acrobat Reader installed on your
local computer please see
Obtaining and Installing Adobe Acrobat Reader.
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