A full-scale review of Canadian agricultural spending should be a top priority in this time of global uncertainty, said a new report from the Canadian Agri-Food Policy Institute.
Tag Archives agriinvest
Policy institute calls for open review of ag spending
It’s been 13 years since agricultural spending was reviewed, and some programs may no longer meet producer needs
Ottawa increases AgriStability compensation in face of Chinese tariffs
APAS says significant concerns remain for farmers' immediate financial challenges
Ottawa has announced support for farmers affected by the Chinese tariffs.
Ag ministers lock in next policy funding framework
AgriStability compensation rate to rise; new EGS program planned; some agmins decry feds' approach on fertilizer emission cuts
The new federal-provincial ag policy funding framework due to take effect next April 1 will include a new ecological goods and services plan and a sweetened compensation rate for AgriStability. Following meetings this week in Saskatoon, federal Agriculture Minister Marie-Claude Bibeau and her provincial and territorial counterparts on Friday mapped out the bones of their […] Read more
Getting the best bang for the AgriInvest buck
Proactive planning can save tax and help farmers improve their financial position
Investing time in planning AgriInvest withdrawals can save taxes and help farmers build their cash flow and retirement funds for the future. But it’s a management opportunity that too many account holders leave on the table, according to a national accounting firm. Canadian farmers have money sitting in AgriInvest accounts that earn next to nothing […] Read more
AgriStability proposal could have hidden cost, Pedersen warns
Manitoba's ag minister warns Bibeau's plan may hurt crop insurance, AgriInvest funding
Ottawa’s proposal for an improved AgriStability program could give farmers short-term gain for long-term pain, Manitoba’s agriculture minister Blaine Pedersen warns. At the online federal-provincial-territorial agriculture ministers’ meeting on Friday, federal Agriculture Minister Marie Claude Bibeau proposed dropping AgriStability’s maximum reference margin, and increasing the compensation rate from 70 to 80 per cent retroactively this […] Read more
Money in AgriInvest accounts ‘disappointing’: Bibeau
Minister continues to advocate that the ‘first line’ money needs to be spent
Glacier FarmMedia – Agriculture and Agri-Food Minister Marie-Claude Bibeau maintains farmers who need cash should first look to any available money sitting in AgriInvest accounts “The last numbers I’ve seen did not show that farmers had used their accounts very much. Some sectors a little bit more, but not in a significant way the last […] Read more
Bibeau not considering closing AgriInvest accounts
Minister wouldn't order farmers to pull funds
Federal Agriculture Minister Marie-Claude Bibeau is not considering ordering producers to withdraw from their AgriInvest accounts. “Not in this way. All the options are on the table for the future, but I’ve never considered asking them to withdraw, to empty their accounts, to face COVID-19,” she said in an interview Friday. Bibeau had previously expressed […] Read more
Most AgriInvest accounts less than $10,000
Farm groups say the federal data discredits argument that aid must wait until producers use up program money
Glacier FarmMedia – Data sent to the House of Commons agriculture committee shows that most AgriInvest accounts hold less than $10,000 each. Only a small percentage of accounts contain $100,000 or more, according to a letter from Agriculture Canada to the committee. Why it matters: Farm groups have been making the case that emptying out […] Read more
No timeline yet set for BRM reforms
Changes put on hold along with ministers' meeting
Ottawa — Federal Agriculture Minister Marie-Claude Bibeau has confirmed any reforms to business risk management (BRM) programs are being delayed. That confirmation came during a wide-ranging media availability Bibeau held Tuesday. In March, Tom Rosser, an assistant deputy minister at Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC), said the government is looking at a number of options […] Read more
Farm groups offer finance committee food security for thought
The Canadian Federation of Agriculture (CFA) continues to pressure the federal government to offer more support for farmers as it looks to mitigate impacts of COVID-19. One of few parliamentary functions continuing to operate in the pandemic, the Commons standing committee on finance is responsible for studying and reporting on matters related to government spending. […] Read more
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