Reading Time: 2 minutes The interest-free portion of the federal Advance Payments Program will be $250,000 this year, much to farmers’ relief. The amount had been set to drop back to $100,000 at the end of this month after sitting at $350,000 for 2023.
Producers welcome change to cash advance program
After much lobbying, federal government increases interest-free portion of program to $250,000
Bill to protect supply management unlikely to harm trade talks
Former agriculture trade negotiator said the legislation is more symbolic
Reading Time: < 1 minute Long-time Canadian trade negotiator Steve Verheul says Bill C-282 is a political signal and not likely to threaten future deals.
CFA delegates want interest-free portion of APP back at higher limit
Politicians grilled on intentions toward carbon price exemption bill
Reading Time: 2 minutes Federal agriculture minister Lawrence MacAulay said Feb. 27 he couldn’t move the interest-free portion of the Advance Payment Program back up to $350,000.
Feds reduce interest-free portion of cash advance
Increases implemented over the last few years have been discontinued, leaving farmers to pay higher interest cost
Reading Time: < 1 minute Farmers applying for spring cash advances should be aware the interest-free portion has dropped back to 2021 levels.
Feds plan to invest in processing projects
The money comes from a fund earmarked to help supply managed sectors hurt by trade deal
Reading Time: 2 minutes The federal government will invest $89 million in 49 processing projects in the supply managed sector. Agriculture minister Lawrence MacAulay was in Ingleside, Ont., at the Lactalis Canada cheese plant to make the Feb. 5 announcement. The projects are through the six-year, $397.5-million Supply Management Processing Investment Fund, which is part of Ottawa's commitment to help sectors that lost market share due to trade agreements.
Sask. livestock drought program extended
Ten RMs added to area eligible for per-head payment, application deadline lengthened
Reading Time: < 1 minute Governments have expanded and extended the Canada-Saskatchewan Feed Program available to the province's livestock producers. Ten rural municipalities have been added to the area eligible for the initial $150 per head payment, and the application deadline has been extended to March 15.
Farmers demand incentives for environmental changes
A final strategy was to be released in late 2023 but feds now say it will be sometime this year
Reading Time: 2 minutes A federal environmental strategy for the agriculture sector should be viewed through an economic lens, says a report from consultations on the proposed Sustainable Agriculture Strategy.
Robinson named to Senate
Former CFA president brings agricultural and business acumen to Canada’s upper house
Reading Time: < 1 minute Mary Robinson, former president of the Canadian Federation of Agriculture, has been appointed to the Senate.
GSU accepts Viterra offer
Wages see a slight improvement but union says they hope to build on it in next contract
Reading Time: < 1 minute Members of the Grain and General Services Union who work for Viterra have voted to accept the company's latest contract offer.
Court remedy sought for unfulfilled contracts
Sask. company claims equipment breakdown at a third-party mill caused it to declare force majeure on contracted oats
Reading Time: 2 minutes More than two dozen farmers are moving ahead with legal action against Purely Canada Foods after it failed to honour contracts for gluten-free oats. The dispute centres on 2022 gluten-free oat contracts. On March 1, 2023, the company sent a letter to the farmers saying it was voiding the contracts because oat processing machinery had failed the previous fall and it couldn’t accept the crop.
A message from April Stewart, Country Guide's Associate Editor
