AgriStability Changes for 2018 Program Year

March 16, 2018

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The Canadian Agricultural Partnership is a five-year, $3-billion investment by federal, provincial and territorial governments that will strengthen the agriculture, agri-food and agri-based products sector ensuring continued innovation, growth and prosperity. In addition to these investments, under the Partnership, producers continue to have access to a robust suite of Business Risk Management (BRM) programs to assist in managing significant risks that threaten the viability of their farm and are beyond their capacity to manage.

AgriStability is a core program within the BRM suite, and provides support when producers experience a large margin decline. A number of important changes have been agreed to for AgriStability which take effect for the 2018 program year, including:

• A cap to the Reference Margin Limit will ensure producers from all sectors have improved access to support under the program. With the cap, all producers are guaranteed at least 70% of their historical reference margin.
• A late participation mechanism that provincial and territorial governments can trigger to allow producers to join the program late when there is a significant down-turn in the industry and a gap in participation. The mechanism will only be triggered in response to significant events, and benefits for producers who enter the program late will be reduced by 20% to continue to encourage regular annual enrolment.
• Recognizing that small payments are unlikely to have a meaningful impact on producers' risk management, a minimum payment of $250 will now apply. The same minimum payment is also being applied to AgriInvest.

If you haven't already registered, consider enrolling in My AAFC Account, which is an easy-to-use, secure way to view and ask questions about your AgriStability and AgriInvest program information. Go to My AAFC Account.

AgriStability is delivered in Manitoba, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Newfoundland and Labrador and Yukon by the federal government. In British Columbia, Saskatchewan, Alberta, Ontario, Quebec, and Prince Edward Island AgriStability is delivered provincially. Please visit your respective provincial administration using the links: British Columbia Agriculture Income Protection, Saskatchewan AgriStability, Alberta Agriculture Financial Services Corporation, Ontario AgriStability, Quebec AgriStability, or Prince Edward Island AgriStability.

The Partnership includes federal programs and activities focused on trade, innovation and on strengthening a diverse sector. Information on the Canadian Agricultural Partnership: Federal activities and programs is now available.

Federal, provincial and territorial governments are also continuing to work towards bilateral agreements for the $2 billion in strategic initiatives under the Canadian Agricultural Partnership. This investment will be cost-shared on a 60:40 basis and delivered by provinces and territories to ensure programs are tailored to meet regional needs. Watch for these important announcements over the next few weeks.