The Government of Canada and the Government of Quebec are launching the Canada-Quebec Initiative to Help Mitigate the Impacts of Excess Rainfall in Quebec in 2023 (known as AgriRecovery).

"Our farmers work so hard every single day, often in the face of different challenges, including unpredictable weather. Our government will always be there to support them and help them build resilience, so they can continue to produce the top-quality products they have become known for."

- The Honourable Lawrence MacAulay, Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food

"For our government, it was essential to come to the aid of agricultural businesses to respond to the consequences of exceptional weather, which were disastrous for many of them. I would like to take this opportunity to reaffirm our commitment to supporting farms in their efforts to improve their resilience to the impacts of climate change, for a strong, agile and competitive sector."

- André Lamontagne, Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food and Minister responsible for the Centre-du-Québec Region

• Summer 2023 was characterized by abundant and frequent rainfall in the regions of Montérégie, Capitale-Nationale, Laurentides, Montréal-Laval-Lanaudière, Chaudière-Appalaches, Mauricie, Estrie, Centre-du-Québec, Saguenay–Lac-Saint-Jean, Outaouais, Bas-Saint-Laurent, Gaspésie–Îles-de-la-Madeleine and Côte-Nord.

• Production losses, combined with the extraordinary costs due to the situation, have had an impact on the liquidity and financial capacity of Quebec horticultural companies.

• The Initiative, which will be administered by the FADQ, stems from the AgriRecovery disaster relief framework under the Sustainable Canadian Agricultural Partnership Multilateral Framework Agreement.

• AgriRecovery is a federal-provincial/territorial disaster relief framework. It is more precisely designed to help agricultural producers meet the extraordinary costs of recovering from natural disasters. AgriRecovery initiatives are cost-shared by the federal government and the provinces and territories concerned on a 60%-40% basis, as set out by the Sustainable Canadian Agricultural Partnership (Sustainable CAP).

• In addition to risk management programs, the Initiative completes a series of measures put in place by the FADQ and the Ministère de l'Agriculture, des Pêcheries et de l'Alimentation (MAPAQ) to support horticultural producers following the excess rainfall in 2023, for example:

  • Introduction of the Mesure complémentaire pour certaines productions horticoles affectées lors de la saison de culture 2023 (Complementary assistance measure for certain horticultural crops affected during the 2023 growing season). This measure offers assistance, which is complementary to the Agri-Québec Plus assistance, which allows the company to record at most $200,000 in net profit, depending on the number of shareholders or the equivalent established by the FADQ;
  • $30 million increase in the Working Capital component of the Sustainable Growth Investment Program, for a total of $55 million;
  • Grant of $50,000 in financial assistance to the Association des producteurs maraîchers du Québec to conduct a study explaining the low rate of enrollment in crop insurance;
  • Payment of indemnities in advance at the request of producers;
  • Extension of warehouse loss coverage for some crops;
  • Extensions of sowing deadlines for market garden crops;

• Cancellation of the account-to-account policy for companies that request it.

• Financial assistance could reach up to $904 per hectare for vegetable crops and potatoes, and up to $3,613 per hectare for strawberries and raspberries.

• This announcement is the result of discussions and exchanges between various stakeholders involved.

• Agricultural associations and the MAPAQ continue their collaboration to adapt the sector to climate change.

Associated links

• Canada-Quebec Initiative to Help Mitigate the Impact of Excess Rainfall in Quebec in 2023 on some regions and types of agricultural production (French only)
• Sustainable Agriculture Plan 2020-2030 (French only)
• Sustainable Canadian Agricultural Partnership (Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada)

For media:

Annie Cullinan
Director of Communications
Office of the Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food
annie.cullinan@agr.gc.ca

Media Relations
Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada
Ottawa, Ontario
613-773-7972
1-866-345-7972
aafc.mediarelations-relationsmedias.aac@agr.gc.ca
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Sophie J. Barma
Press Secretary
Office of the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food and Minister responsible for the Centre-du-Québec Region
581-993-5016
sophie.jacques-barma@mapaq.gouv.qc.ca

Media Relations
Communications Department
Ministère de l'Agriculture, des Pêcheries et de l'Alimentation
418-380-2100, ext. 3512
relationsdepresse@mapaq.gouv.qc.ca