The interest-free limit of the Advance Payments Program has been increased from $250,000 to $350,000 for the 2023 program year, effective May 8, 2023. This is the second expansion of the interest-free portion in the last year. It was increased from $100,000 to $250,000 for the 2022 and 2023 program years in June of 2022…. Read More
Category: Farm Programs
With crop input purchases adding up in spring, some farmers that rely on the federal government’s Advance Payments Program for cash flow have inquired whether the federal public service strike will affect the short-term loan program. The cash advance program is administered by 30, third-party producer organizations, so the strike is not having any direct… Read More
Picket lines are up across the country as more than 155 thousand Public Service Alliance of Canada (PSAC) members began strike action at 12:01am ET on April 19. The union members on strike make up approximately a third of the federal public service, and includes employees of Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada and the Canadian Grain… Read More
Update, as of April 17: The Public Service Alliance of Canada announced a strike deadline on Monday morning. The union says more than 155,000 PSAC members, which includes staff with Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada and the Canadian Grain Commission, will begin strike action on Wednesday, April 19 if a deal cannot be reached by 9… Read More
After undergoing some major changes through the ’80s and ’90s, business risk management (BRM) programs for farmers across Canada have remained largely the same for the last two decades. While there have been a few tweaks to AgriStability and its siblings in the BRM family of programs, AgriInsurance, and AgriInvest, the risks that farmers and… Read More
Premier Doug Ford’s government released its latest budget for Ontario, with a major focus on health care and housing. Tucked in the budget, however, are a few items directly or indirectly applicable to agriculture in the province, including a focus on improving veterinary access in under-serviced areas, support for trades, and a manufacturing credit. In… Read More
Much of what governments in Canada do when it comes to agriculture and farming falls under the umbrella of the “Ag Policy Framework” — the big agreements that federal, provincial, and territorial agriculture ministers have been signing roughly every five years going back to the early 2000s. With the latest iteration of the APF, known… Read More
Details on programs to be funded under the new five-year Sustainable Canadian Agricultural Partnership (SCAP) will be announced within the next few weeks — at least in Manitoba, according to the provincial agriculture minister. The current five-year Canadian Agricultural Partnership (CAP), which covers most of the agricultural programs that are funded by the federal and… Read More
Each year, Canadian Cattle Young Leaders (CYL) selects 16 program participants ages 18-35 from across the country and offers industry networking, travel, and skill building opportunities. A focal point of the program is matching participants with a hand-picked mentor in their specific area of interest in the Canadian beef industry for a nine-month mentorship experience…. Read More
The On Farm Climate Action Fund (OFCAF) is a federal program being administered by 12 organizations across Canada. In Ontario, the funding for nitrogen management, cover cropping, and rotational grazing is largely being administered by the Ontario Soil and Crop Improvement Association (OSCIA). EcoCert is also administering a portion of funds for organic growers. Margaret… Read More
The Canola Council of Canada (CCC) has announced details of its On-Farm Climate Action Fund program. Through the Canola 4R Advantage nutrient stewardship program, eligible farms can access up to $12,000 per year, as 85 per cent cost-share of beginning or advancing 4R practices on-farm. Up to $17.4 million in federal funding is currently approved… Read More
On July 28, the federal, provincial, and territorial ministers met to hammer out an agreement-in-principle for the next version of the ag policy framework (APF). Beginning April 1, 2023, the next version will be called the Sustainable Canadian Agricultural Partnership (SCAP), and will include some big changes from the current version, including more total funding… Read More
Minister of Agriculture for British Columbia, Lana Popham, says the province is enjoying a relatively good growing season this year, in spite of the disaster that was last summer of forest fires across much of the province and fall flooding in the Fraser Valley. “When you drive through the Fraser Valley now, you know, I… Read More
The next Agriculture Policy Framework is set to roll out in April 2023, and ministers meet next week in Saskatoon to hash out what the next version of funding and programming will look like for Canada’s agriculture industry. As the deadline approaches for changes to business risk management programs and choosing funding priorities, we asked… Read More
The Ontario Soil & Crop Improvement Association is administering the federal government On-Farm Climate Action Fund, and details have just been announced for farmers interested in applying. The program guide has just been released today, July 11, and the organization is hosting a series of online information sessions to help farmers decide which stream of… Read More