Ontario beef farmers receive extension for repaying federal advance payment loans Tuesday, May 13, 2014 by JIM ALGIE Recent adjustments to extend the repayment period for federal advance payment loans should help Ontario cattle farmers, a recent Beef Farmers of Ontario (BFO) newsletter says. Administered by the Guelph-based, Agricultural Credit Corporation, the federal advance payments program provides growers with up to $400,000 in operating capital. The first $100,000 of such loans is free of interest cost with the remaining balance up to $300,000 at bank prime rates. Changes announced March 19 include a single, stream-lined, application process, quicker approvals and new repayment rules for cattle farmers with constant inventory. A BFO newsletter published last Friday says “advances can now be repaid up to a year after issuance rather than upon the sale of cattle.” The changes followed recommendations by BFO, said the newsletter article that was attributed to that organization’s communications manager LeaAnne Wuermli. It means farmers “can realize more savings by extending their interest-free portion of the loan to a full year versus paying back on their first sales of cattle,” the newsletter says. The program for cattle farmers opens annually, April 1, and remains open to applications between April and the following March. Loans are available on current inventory held for sale during the current program year. Advance loans for livestock require that borrowers be enrolled in the federal Agristability program which provides insurance against large margin declines. Agricultural Credit Corporation (ACC) is a not-for-profit farm organization formed in 1992 by a coalition of farm organizations now including 19 producer groups. Since it began, the corporation has loaned more than $4 billion to Canadian farmers, a statement on the ACC website says. BF Few details available about impact on Ontario farmers of most recent food processing plant closure Projects receive Greenbelt funding
Poll Reveals Mixed Public Sentiment on BC Ostrich Cull Decision Thursday, October 2, 2025 Farms.com poll shows divided opinions among Canadian farmers on the Supreme Court’s decision to halt the ostrich cull. A recent poll conducted on Farms.com's X account @OntAg aimed to capture Canadian farmers' views on the Supreme Court’s decision to halt the ostrich cull in British... Read this article online
New Ontario agrobotics challenge seeking high school submissions Thursday, October 2, 2025 A new competition for Ontario high school students is looking for innovative ways to solve challenges in the ag sector. The AgRobotics Ontario Challenge launched at the end of September. The competition is a collaboration between the Western Fair District, the Ontario Council for... Read this article online
Canada Post Strike Continues to Threatens Agri-Businesses and Rural Communities Thursday, October 2, 2025 The Canadian Federation of Independent Business (CFIB) is calling on the federal government to take swift action to end the ongoing Canada Post strike, warning that the disruption is causing serious harm to small businesses – including many in the agriculture sector. “The government’s... Read this article online
Farmland Values Climb Across the Prairies-Manitoba Leads, Ontario Holds Steady Thursday, October 2, 2025 Canadian cultivated farmland values rose by an average of 6.0 per cent in the first half of 2025, according to the mid-year farmland values review by Farm Credit Canada (FCC). This marks a modest acceleration compared to the first half of 2024, which saw a 5.5 per cent increase. Over... Read this article online
Setting Foundations for Higher Yielding Soybeans Wednesday, October 1, 2025 Farmers can achieve higher soybean yields by focusing on strong foundations and careful field management according to Shaun Casteel, Extension Soybean Specialist from Purdue University, who spoke at the in August. He emphasized that no single method guarantees success—each field... Read this article online