A number of hail events resulted in significant damage to farm operations this summer, beyond what has been seen in recent years. In assistance to farmers from the Montérégie region and other regions who have incurred extraordinary expenses, Governments of Canada and Quebec are offering up to $13 million through the 2017 Canada-Quebec Hail Assistance Initiative, offered under the AgriRecovery program as part of the Growing Forward 2.

"The governments of Canada and Quebec are partnering to help farmers in four regions of Quebec, including the Monteregie region, to overcome the challenges and hardships caused by hail episodes last summer. This collaboration demonstrates our governments' commitment to supporting the agriculture sector and to taking concrete action to support market recovery. The initiative will cover the extraordinary costs associated with the refurbishment and resumption of operations; this is a great help for affected farm businesses and their families!"
-  Jean-Claude Poissant, Member of Parliament for La Prairie and Parliamentary Secretary of Agriculture and Agri-Food

"In Quebec, and especially in the Monteregie region, the agriculture sector is a vital for the economy. Without financial assistance to help farm businesses deal with extraordinary weather events, farmers can find themselves in a difficult position. This assistance will allow farmers to cover extraordinary expenses, such as the costs of pumping water out of fields or planting a cover crop. This assistance will be beneficial for farmers in the affected areas as they restart their production activities."
-  Stéphane Billette, Member of the National Assembly for Huntingdon and Delegated Minister for Small and Medium Enterprises, Regulatory Streamlining and Regional Economic Development

• In 2017, several extraordinarily intense hail events occurred in the Saguenay–Lac-Saint-Jean, Montérégie, Chaudière-Appalaches and Bas-Saint-Laurent regions, completely destroying crops in some cases and causing damage to farm infrastructure.

• A total of up to $13 million will be dedicated to the 2017 Canada-Quebec Hail Assistance Initiative, with the Government of Canada contributing 60% of the funding and the Government of Quebec contributing 40%.

• The Government of Quebec has given La Financière agricole du Québec (FADQ) the mandate to administer and manage the 2017 Canada-Quebec Hail Assistance Initiative. The application deadline is February 28, 2018. Crop insurance coverage is not required in order to be eligible for this initiative.

• In July 2017, federal, provincial and territorial (FPT) ministers of agriculture reached agreement in principle on the key elements of the Canadian Agricultural Partnership, a five-year, $3 billion investment that will set a solid foundation for the future of Canada's farmers and food processors, and continue to help them grow, innovate and prosper. The Partnership is set to launch on April 1, 2018.

Associated Links

• Nation-wide initiatives linked to Growing Forward 2
• Cost-shared Growing Forward 2 programs implemented in Quebec (in French only)
• La Financière agricole du Québec
• Canadian Agricultural Partnership
• Ottawa and Quebec are launching a new funding program to support the growth of food processing companies

Guy Gallant
Director of Communications
Office of the Honourable Lawrence MacAulay
613-773-1059

Media Relations
Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada
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Mathieu Gaudreault
Press Secretary
Office of the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food
418-380-2525

Marie-Catherine Leduc
Press Secretary
Office of the Delegated Minister for Small and Medium Enterprises, Regulatory Streamlining and Regional Economic Development
418-691-5650

Cynthia Byrne
Communications and Public Relations Advisor
La Financière agricole du Québec
418-834-6866, ext. 6569
cynthia.byrne@fadq.qc.ca