The Canadian Canola Growers Association says it’s waiting on information from the federal government before it can double farmers’ access to interest-free canola advance payments.
“When the program changes are approved, CCGA will take action to implement the higher interest-free benefit for canola quickly so that all farmers, including those who already have a 2025 cash advance, can benefit,” said Dave Gallant, the association’s vice-president, of finance and APP operations in a Tuesday news release.
“CCGA will notify existing customers about the program changes and any actions required on their part. We hope to make the process seamless for all farmers.”
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Ottawa announced late last week it would temporarily increase the interest-free portion for canola advances in the Advance Payments Program to $500,000 from $250,000 to aid farmers facing market disruptions due to Chinese tariffs on Canadian canola. The change will be in place for the rest of 2025 and the 2026 program.
CCGA said it is awaiting further details from Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada as the changes work through the regulatory process.
“At this time, information is limited, so we encourage farmers to await further details from CCGA either from our website or through our normal customer communications channels,” Gallant said.
Canola groups underwhelmed by federal support
Federal aid initiatives for the canola sector included $370 million in biofuel production incentives aimed at making Canada’s producers more competitive with their counterparts in the United States.
The Liberal government also announced it will invest an additional $75 million over five years in Agriculture Canada’s AgriMarketing program starting in 2026-27.
The money will be spent on expanding the program into high-growth areas such Africa, the Middle East and the Indo-Pacific.
Canola groups said they were underwhelmed by the federal government’s aid measures.
“The measures announced today do not reflect the seriousness of the challenge facing the value chain,” Chris Davision, president of the Canola Council of Canada said in a press release.
“We have communicated the need for appropriate financial and policy supports, and the federal government has missed the mark.”
Farmers shouldn’t have to borrow: CCGA
Canadian Canola Growers Association president Rick White said farmers should not be expected to borrow their way out of the situation.
“The Advanced Payments Program is not designed to provide the required support canola farmers need under this situation,” he said in the joint press release.
Davison said the government failed to recognize the extensive impacts on the rest of the value chain, noting that exporters and processors are also facing “significant financial impacts” due to the closure of the Chinese market.
The groups were happy to see there was some support for the biofuel sector but noted that the incentive does not go far enough in driving meaningful additional domestic demand for canola.
They called on Ottawa to provide “meaningful and impactful” support for an industry navigating a trade crisis and to “pursue all avenues” for resolving the dispute with China.
—With files from Sean Pratt
