Financial Matters and BRM Programs

The wholesale nursery sector is eligible to participate in a number of financial and business risk management programs made available to all agricultural producers by Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC).  

These programs are not managed by CNLA and the following links will take you to the website of the appropriate Agency.

Advance Payments Program

The wholesale nursery sector has been eligible to participate in AAFC’s Advance Payment Program since the fall of 2009.  This program, which is administered across Canada by ACC Farmers Financial, gives growers access to $100,000 in interest free operating loan and up to an additional $300,000 at prime lending rate.

For more information click here, or contact ACC Farmers Financial.  PLEASE NOTE that there are separate application forms for Quebec and all other provinces; please be sure to refer to the correct application form for your province.

Further links: 

Changes to BRM programming now in effect (April 23, 2013)

APP Fact Sheet

ACCFF Announcement (January 2012)

AgriStability

AgriStability provides support when you experience a large margin decline. You may be able to receive an AgriStability payment when your current year program margin falls below 70% of your reference margin.

Changes to AgriStability Announced:
It is the intention of the federal government to cut $430 million per year from BRM programming beginning in April 2013.  It was originally suggested by AAFC that all of the savings would be realized through cuts in the AgriStability program. Read more.

AgriStability is based on margins:

Program margin - your allowable income minus your allowable expenses in a given year, with adjustments for changes in receivables, payables and inventory. These adjustments are made based on information you submit on the AgriStability harmonized form.

Reference margin - your average program margin for three of the past five years (the lowest and highest margins are dropped from the calculation).

Should your production margin fall below 85% of your reference margin in a given year, you will receive a program payment.

AgriStability is delivered in Manitoba, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Newfoundland and Labrador and Yukon by the federal government. Click here for more information.
 

For all other provinces:

British Columbia,

Saskatchewan,

Alberta,

Ontario,

Quebec

Prince Edward Island

AgriInvest

AgriInvest helps you manage small income declines, and provides support for investments to mitigate risks or improve market income. Your AgriInvest account builds as you make annual deposits based on a percentage of your Allowable Net Sales (ANS) and receive matching contributions from federal, provincial, and territorial governments.

AgriInvest helps you manage small income declines, and provides support for investments to mitigate risks or improve market income. Your AgriInvest account builds as you make annual deposits based on a percentage of your Allowable Net Sales (ANS) and receive matching contributions from federal, provincial, and territorial governments.