Supporting farmers and food businesses to help feed Canada during COVID-19

Managing livestock backlog and surplus food while addressing food security

Up to $125 M through AgriRecovery to manage backlog of cattle and hogs, and other COVID costs.
$200 M in added borrowing capacity for the Canadian Dairy Commission to buy and store surplus cheese and butter.
Up to $50 M under the Surplus Food Rescue Program to purchase surplus food to address food security.
$200 M under the Emergency Food Security Fund for food banks and local food organizations to help support food security in Canada.
$25 M through Nutrition North to ensure food security for Canada’s most vulnerable.

$5 B to Farm Credit Canada, which has helped thousands of farmers defer their loans;
$173 M in deferred Advance Payment Program loans for grain, cattle and flower producers;
$100 M to the Agriculture and Food Business Solutions Fund to support businesses during unexpected disruptions;
$65 B Business Credit Availability Program, including the Canada Emergency Business Account that allows Canadian farmers and food processors to access capital, and providing forgivable portions of their loans if repaid by December 2022;
Deferrals on GST/HST, custom duties and income taxes;
Increase of AgriStability interim payments from 50% to 75%;
Provision of term loans of up to $6.25 M through the Small and Medium-sized Enterprise Loan Guarantee and Co-lending Programs;
Launching of the Canada Emergency Rent Subsidy to provide rent and mortgage support for qualifying businesses until June 2021;
Over $1.5 B for a Regional Relief and Recovery Fund for regional development agencies to support businesses that may require additional help to recover from the pandemic, but that have been unable to access existing support measures;
New measures under the $190 M CanExport SMEs program to help small businesses owners to market their products through e-commerce and virtual trade shows, and help them manage the costs of new COVID-19 related trade barriers.

Up to $77.5 M under the Emergency Processing Fund to help companies implement changes to safeguard the health and safety of workers and to improve, automate and modernize their facilities;
$20 M to ensure the capacity and safety of Canadian Food Inspection Agency inspectors;
$62.5 M for a new Canadian Seafood Stabilization Fund to help Canada’s fish and seafood processing sector.

$58.6 M to strengthen the Temporary Foreign Workers Program and make further investments to safeguard the health and safety of Canadian and temporary foreign workers, including a $35 M Emergency On-Farm Support Fund to boost protections and address outbreaks on farms;
$50 M to help farmers safely welcome seasonal and temporary foreign workers;
Introduction of a wage boost with provinces and territories for low-income essential workers;
Essential designation for workers in the food supply chain;
Introduction of the Agri-Food Pilot to help address the labour needs of the Canadian agri-food sector;
Launching of the Step up to the plate employment portal and marketing campaign;
Work with provinces to treat labour shortages in the horticulture sector as eligible risk within the AgriInsurance program;
Expansion of the Canada Emergency Wage Subsidy to provide wage subsidies to more eligible businesses until June 2021;
$9.2 M to fund 800 new positions for youth under the Youth Employment and Skills Program.

Producers also have a suite of business risk management tools to help manage risks beyond their control.

Step by step, we will continue supporting those working hard to feed Canada.

Please visit agr.gc.ca/COVIDSupport for more information.