ERP Stream 4: Berry Removal/Renewal
The Enhanced Replant Program (ERP), funded through the Ministry of Agriculture and Food, provides support to help wine grape, berry, and tree fruit producers replace existing acreage with climate-resilient varieties that produce in-demand, premium fruit.
Enhanced Replant Program Stream 4: Berry Removal/Renewal is open to existing blueberry growers removing and not replanting their fields and existing Cranberry growers renewing their fields.
NEW for 2026/27: The minimum acre replant requirement is now 0.5 acres. see below for details.
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Stream 4: Berry Removal/Renewal Overview
Eligibility Criteria
All ERP applicants must meet the program-wide eligibility criteria AND stream-specific eligibility criteria. Applicants are responsible for reviewing and understanding both program-wide and stream-specific eligibility criteria before submitting their application.
ERP Eligibility Criteria
Eligible Applicants
- Be an existing blueberry, cranberry, raspberry, tree fruit, or wine grape grower in British Columbia, farming over 2.47 acres (1 hectare) of perennial crops.
- Existing blueberry or cranberry growers are exclusively eligible for Stream 4: Berry Removal / Renewal.
- Be the owner or lessee of the land.
- Indicate if you have been paid a Production Insurance Plant Loss Claim from January 1, 2023, onwards or have a Plant Loss Claim in progress for the field/block being replanted.
- Can demonstrate financial viability to complete and maintain a project.
- Be in good standing with council(s) identified by the corresponding industry association (see stream-specific criteria).
- Maintain the property as a commercial operation for at least four (4) years after replanting.
Eligible Activities & Expenditures
- Blueberry removal costs: provided removal of plants takes place after application approval and removal has not been funded through other programs.
- Cranberry renewal costs: provided removal of plants takes place after application approval and removal has not been funded through other programs.
Project Requirements
- The removal or renewal site must be in British Columbia.
- Each removal or renewal project must cover a minimum half (0.5) a contiguous acre. See details below on Contiguous Acres.
- The 0.5-acre minimum may consist of:
- one continuous planted area of at least 0.5 acre; or
- multiple adjoining planted areas that together total at least 0.5 acre, on the same PID.
- The 0.5-acre minimum may consist of:
Ineligible Applicants
- Annual crop producers, forage producers, non-commercial producers, and farmland outside of BC
- Sectors that do not have an opportunity assessment completed and pre-approved by the Ministry of Agriculture and Food
- Producers that do not meet stream-specific criteria
- Producers with active Plant Loss Claims are not eligible for Stream 4: Berry Removal/Renewal
- Applicants with an active project with the Perennial Crop Renewal Program (PCRP) (2023-2025) are not eligible to apply for ERP.
Ineligible Activities and Expenditures
- Fields removed/renewed that do not meet the contiguous 0.5 acre minimum
- These include but are not limited to;
- Fields in different locations with different PID’s
- Separated planting areas on the same PID that do not touch
- Fields seperated by a paved road or highway
- These include but are not limited to;
- Interplanting in existing orchards or vineyards (planting young plants between each existing plant in the row)
- New plantings (including farm expansions and the establishment of crops on bare land or land previously utilized for non-perennial crops or non-food perennial crops)
- Home nurseries: the cost of growing plants (including labour, maintenance, and other production inputs)
- Good and Services Tax (GST)
- In-kind expenses
- Taxes and duty or shipping costs
- Other planting or removal costs including but not limited to: rental of equipment, purchase of posts and wire, labour etc.
- Ongoing annual royalty payments (per acre, per linear foot, or per fruit sold)
- Ineligible commodity-specific criteria as outlined in the sector-specific planting/removal guidelines
Stream 4: Berry Removal/Renewal Eligibility Criteria
Stream 4: Berry Removal/Renewal is open to existing blueberry producers removing fields and cranberry producers renewing fields in British Columbia.
Acres previously approved through ERP Stream 4: Berry Removal, are not eligible for funding through Stream 3: Berry Replant in future intakes.
Blueberry Removal Eligibility Criteria
Blueberry removal funding is for producers exiting the industry or reducing their blueberry acreage.
Eligible Applicants
- Producers exiting the industry or reducing their blueberry acerage.
- Be in good standing with the BC Blueberry Council with all levies paid on fresh and processed production from the previous year.
- Must removed suporting infrastructure (posts, wire, irrigation) and dispose of appropriately (off-site recycling or landfill).
Funding Per Acre
- Blueberry producers will receive a flat rate of $2,500 per acre of blueberry removal upon project completion.
- Acreage will be rounded down to the nearest 0.5 acre for payment purposes. (i.e. 2.8 acres will be funded at 2.5 acres)
Cranberry Renewal Eligibility Criteria
Cranberry renewal funding is for producers renewing their cranberry fields.
Eligible Applicants
- Existing Cranberry producer in the province of British Columbia.
- Removing cranberries and planning to replant with a high yielding variety of cranberries.
- Have a license to grow cranberries from the BC Cranberry Marketing Commission.
Funding Per Acre
- Cranberry producers will receive a flat rate of $5,000 per acre of removal upon project completion.
- Acreage will be rounded down to the nearest 0.5 acre for payment purposes. (i.e. 2.8 acres will be funded at 2.5 acres)
Stream 4: Berry Removal/Renewal Project Details
Removal Acres
Each farm operation can apply for a minimum of half (0.5) a contiguous acre per project up to a maximum of 20 acres or 15% of existing perennial food crop acreage (leased and owned), whichever is greater.
All acres must be contiguous.
Min: half (0.5) contiguous acre
Max: 20 acres or 15% of existing acreage, whichever is greater
If the acres you want to remove are in different locations (i.e. have different PIDs), are separate planting areas in the same location or are separated by a paved road or highway you are not eligible to apply for those acres in one application.
Funding Details
The total funding available for each farm operation over the duration of the program (starting November 1, 2024) is capped at a maximum of $750,000.
Blueberry producers will receive a flat rate of $2,500 per acre of removal upon project completion.
Cranberry producers will receive a flat rate of $5,000 per acre of renewal upon project completion.
| Fields without Production Insurance Plant Loss Claim | Fields with Production Insurance Plant Loss Claim |
|---|---|
| $2,500/acre blueberry removal $5,000/acre cranberry renewal | Not eligible |
Applications with Plant Loss Claims
All applicants are required to indicate if they have been paid a Production Insurance Plant Loss Claim from January 1, 2023 onward or have a Plant Loss Claim in progress for the field/block being replanted. Cost-share ratios for applicants will be adjusted based on Business Risk Management Program claims at each planting and/or removal/renewal location.
Producers with fields or acres that production insurance has PAID a Plant Loss Claim(from January 1, 2023, onwards), or an active Plant Loss Claim is under consideration for the field or acre being removed/renewed are not eligible for stream 4 funding.
Applicants who indicate they are enrolled in Production Insurance will have their information (including Production Insurance Policy Number, Physical Address of planting/removal location and Land Titles Parcel Identification (PID) number) sent to the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Business Risk Management Branch to verify claim status.
Project Length
Successful Stream 4 applicants will have up to 12 months from the time of approval to complete their blueberry removal project, and up to 24 months from the time of approval to complete their cranberry renewal project.
Applying to the Program
Applications for Stream 4: Berry Removal/Renewal open on October 27, 2026, with submissions accepted on November 10, 2026, at 9:00am PT.
We encourage you to use those two weeks between October 27 to November 10 to draft your application and ensure you have all the necessary information and documents ready and uploaded prior to submissions opening.
Applications are accepted through the IAF Client Portal. Only one application per fiscal year, regardless of stream, can be submitted per farm operation.
All applications are scored based on specific criteria provided by the Ministry of Agriculture and Food. See Program Scoring Criteria below for details.
Applicants are encouraged to include only activities they are confident will be completed on time and within budget limits.
Note: Applying to the program is not a guarantee of funding. Applications that are incomplete or do not meet eligibility criteria will not fulfill the program’s requirements and may adversely affect your funding decision.
Important Program Dates
Applications Open
Submissions Accepted
Applications Close
Project Start
Project Completion
Accessing the IAF Client Portal
To apply to the program, you must first create an IAF Client Portal account and register your organization by navigating to the IAF Client Portal and selecting “Create an account now.”
If you have previously applied to an IAF-delivered program you can skip this step – you’re already registered!
Sign Up & Register
To apply to the program, you must first create an IAF Client Portal account and register your organization by navigating to the IAF Client Portal and selecting “Create an account now.”
Starting your ERP Application
If you’re reading this information prior to application submissions opening, you can start (i.e. draft, edit & view) your application. This takes the pressure off for first-come, first-served programs – allowing you to work on your application without the pressure of submission.
To find the application navigate to the ‘Opportunities‘ tab in the IAF Client Portal and select ERP: Stream 4 – Berry Removal/Renewal.
- Step 1 – Add’l Organization Details
- Step 2 – Project Details
- Step 3 – Project Budget
- Step 4 – Demographic Info
- Step 5 – Terms & Conditions
- Step 6 – Upload Documents
- Step 7 – Submit
Review and agree to the terms and conditions.
Have a Question?
If you have any questions about your application, program eligibility, required documents, etc. IAF encourages you to reach out to erp@iafbc.ca or give us a call at 250-940-6150.
You can also book a 10-minute phone consult with an IAF staff member once the stream applications are open. Prior to booking an appointment, you must start your draft application and provide the ID number (ERP-202425-0####). This gives you and the IAF staff member a specific application to reference and provide support for during the 10-minute phone call. Applicants are limited to one phone call appointment currently.
Review and Adjudication
Prior to funding decisions being made, project applications are screened and reviewed by IAF and may be reviewed by a technical expert. The application review process will include:
- Ensuring application completeness.
- Organization/Applicant eligibility check.
- Project eligibility check.
Application Audit
Upon successful completion of review by IAF staff, 10% of eligible applications will be selected for further audit and review. This audit will include a secondary review of applications by an Accredited Professional focused on validating/verifying any or all the technical information supplied or required. Additional information may be requested from the applicant before it can be considered for funding. The following audit criteria may be considered:
- Owner/Lessee Farm Operation details
- Total acreage
- Planting density
- Financial Review
- Documentation supporting positive returns
- Compliance Checks
- Food safety standards
- Valid water license
- Soil test results
- Varietal Assessment
- Additional Assessments
- Production insurance
- AgriStability participation
- Environmental Farm Plan (EFP)
Note: Applications that fail the audit requirements may be deemed ineligible and not funded.
Program Scoring Criteria
All eligible applications will be scored based on specific criteria provided by the Ministry of Agriculture and Food; this may include:
- Enrollment in Production Insurance.
- Enrollment in AgriStability or vertical integration that makes them ineligible for AgriStability.
- A current Environmental Farm Plan (EFP) or in the process of renewing/applying for one.
- Stream 4 criteria – blueberry removal: Fields are being removed due to high levels of Blueberry Scorch Virus.
- Steam 4 criteria – cranberry renewal: Removing old varieties including Stevens, Berman, Pilgrim, Ben Lear, McFarlin, or Grygleski Hybrid 1.
Funding will be awarded to high-scoring applicants first, until the program allocations are exhausted.
Funding Notifications & Obligations
If the project is approved, IAF will inform the applicant of the details of the decision and any associated terms and conditions by email. Notification will be provided within 8 weeks of a completed application submission. Please note, if an application is sent back for further information or revisions this will reset the application review timeline. The status of your application can be found in the IAF Client Portal. All funding decisions are final.
Funding is application and project-specific and must be used for the approved project and eligible expenses as outlined. Funds are non-transferable.
Approved replant projects, including those that receive a conditional approval, must be completed within 12 months of funding decision notification for blueberry removal and within 24 months for cranberry renewal. No project extensions will be considered.
Approved applicants will be published annually on the IAF website, highlighting funding awarded to producers and key program achievements to date.
Reporting Requirements
Successful applicants must complete all removal/renewal or replanting activities, submit a project report and/or successfully complete an on-site field inspection prior to receiving payment. Project report(s) must be completed and submitted to IAF, with receipts and invoices (as applicable), to be considered for funding reimbursement. It is important the final report is submitted on time and with all required information. Cranberry renewal and blueberry removal projects will be reimbursed based on a flat rate per acre following the completion of removal activities. Payments will be made in CAD. Final reporting will be required before funding payments are issued. All reporting will be completed via the IAF Client Portal.
Project Reports
A progress report(s) may be required for projects that exceed 12-months in duration.
Final project reports will include, but may not be limited to:
- Geotagged image(s) of each project location, showing all plants and obsolete infrastructure have been removed and properly disposed of
- Confirmed total number of plants/acres planted or removed
- Provide supporting documents (receipts, invoices etc.)
- Producer planting survey
- Attestation of work complete
If a report is submitted by a producer, shows evidence of inter-planting, the project will automatically require an on-site field inspection and may be ineligible for funding.
Field Inspections
Field inspection process: Approved projects selected to participate in the field inspection audit will be automatically notified when a final report is completed / submitted to IAF through the IAF Client Portal.
Field inspections will be conducted for a minimum of 25% of completed projects, by a qualified professional scheduling an on-site visit with the producer. Field inspections will take place within 3-6 months of project completion. Final payments will be based on the outcome of the inspection and assessment of the project’s progress.
Criteria for each inspection could include, but is not limited to:
- Verify project location.
- Measure field area.
- Verify the previous planting in field block have been removed and obsolete infrastructure has been removed and disposed of.
- Take photos.
Note: Projects that fail the field inspection requirements may be deemed ineligible and not funded.
Payments will only be issued to producers following project completion and/or field inspection.
Funding Acknowledgments
This program is funded by the Government of British Columbia. As such, acknowledgement of funding is required when publicly communicating about a project and/or funding. To ensure appropriate acknowledgement, all communications and marketing materials, including public announcements or social media posts, must be pre-approved by the IAF Communications Team. Details on correctly acknowledging funding can be found on the project resource hub. Materials must be submitted via the IAF Client Portal.
Resources
FAQs
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Please note: the Government of BC may, from time to time, give instructions to IAF in relation to the delivery and administration of this program. IAF must and will comply with those instructions.