Saint-Hyacinthe – The Government of Canada and the Government of Quebec have announced 34 million to support farm businesses committed to improving their farming practices. This investment makes it possible to launch the third enrolment period of the Initiative ministérielle de rétribution des pratiques agroenvironnementales (Ministerial Initiative for the Rewarding of Agri-Environmental Practices). It will allow to support more than 1,200 new farm businesses, bringing the total to nearly 4,000, for a direct investment of $119 million.
The announcement was made today at Ferme Jocelyn Michon in Saint-Hyacinthe by Marie-Claude Bibeau, Minister of National Revenue, on behalf of Lawrence MacAulay, Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food, and André Lamontagne, Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food and Minister Responsible for the Centre-du-Québec region. To take account of the impact of last summer’s weather conditions on businesses’ ability to implement certain practices, Minister Lamontagne also announced a change in the terms of payment of financial assistance. As a result, a complete deferral of payments of unused amounts has been granted.
As part of the new Sustainable Canadian Agricultural Partnership 2023-2028, the federal government will contribute $24.1 million to the Initiative.
“Our government is proud to support our hard-working farmers and agri-businesses who are innovating and adopting more sustainable farming practices. By taking action today, they’re making decisions that are good for the environment, and their bottom line. I encourage producers across Quebec to take advantage of this funding program so they can continue feeding Canadians, and the world.” – Lawrence MacAulay, Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food
“By adopting increasingly sustainable practices, agricultural producers improve their yields and resilience in the face of climate change, while contributing to the achievement of our environmental targets. This program aims to give them the resources they need to accelerate the adoption of these beneficial management practices.” – Marie-Claude Bibeau, Minister of National Revenue