The APP is a federal loan guarantee program which provides agricultural producers with access to low-interest cash advances to help provide marketing flexibility to allow producers to sell their commodity at the most opportune time. Advances are available on over 500 crop and livestock products across Canada.

Producers can access up to $1 million per program year based on the value of their agricultural products, with the Government of Canada typically covering the interest on the first $100,000 advanced. In 2025, the interest-free limit was increased from $100,000 to $250,000.

On September 5, 2025, Prime Minister Carney announced new measures to protect, build, and transform Canada’s strategic industries. As part of these initiatives, for the 2025 and 2026 program years, farmers can temporarily access up to $500,000 interest-free under the Advance Payments Program. This includes up to $250,000 for any eligible commodity, plus an additional $250,000 exclusively for canola.

APP advances are available through industry associations across Canada.

To be eligible you must be:

• a Canadian citizen or permanent resident; or
• a corporation, cooperative or partnership of which the majority interest is held by Canadian citizens or permanent residents.

You must also:

• be the age of majority in the province of operation;
• have produced/be producing and own the agricultural product; and
• be responsible for its marketing.

For a corporation, cooperative or partnership, one or more of the stakeholders must be the age of majority in the province of operation.

FarmCash supports more than 50 commodities through the Advanced Payment Program (APP). To see the full list of commodities we support, please refer to our: FarmCash Advance Rate Sheet.

Most agricultural products are eligible for an APP advance, including:

• Crops
• Grains and oilseeds
• Fruits and vegetables
• Livestock such as cattle, hogs, sheep, bison, rabbits, red deer, boar, goats, and elk
• Certain breeding animals intended for sale during the production period (cattle, goats, sheep, hogs)
• Bees intended for sale during the production period
• Fur pelts and cervid antler velvet
• Honey and maple syrup

APP advances are based on the anticipated value of the eligible agricultural products that are either being produced or that are in storage. Producers can receive up to 50% of the expected value of their production.

The advance amounts producers are eligible to receive will be limited by the level of security the producer is able to provide.

Refer to FarmCash Rate Sheet

APP advances must be secured to ensure a producer will be able to reimburse their advances. In all instances, the producer must agree to offer up the agricultural product(s) being advanced on as security. Additionally, for pre-production and livestock advances, coverage under one or a combination of the eligible business risk management programs will be required (e.g., AgriInsurance and AgriStability).

Producers are required to make repayments as they sell the agricultural products they received their advance on. The full advance must be repaid within the production period as noted in the repayment agreement signed with the APP administrator. The production period is 18 months for most agricultural products (24 months for cattle and bison).

Producers must repay their APP advance as they sell the agricultural products on which the advance was made (within 30 days of a receiving payment from the sale of the agricultural product).

APP Administrators sign annual tripartite agreements with their Financial Institution and the Minister of Agriculture, which authorizes them to deliver the program to producers. Once their agreement is signed, APP Administrators become responsible for the day-to-day delivery of the program. They assess a producer’s eligibility, coordinate the application process, determine advance amounts and manage the producer’s file until full repayment, while respecting the terms and conditions of their agreements.

The Federal Government pays the interest on the interest-free portion APP advances. Furthermore, the Government guarantees the total amounts advanced to the producers, which allows APP administrators to charge a low interest rate in the interest-bearing portion of advances. Lastly, the Government provides oversight to help ensure that APP Administrators comply with the requirements of their agreements, as well as the Agricultural Marketing Programs Act and its Regulations.