CANADA, July 25 - The governments of B.C. and Canada are making changes to the AgriStability program to provide more financial support to B.C. farmers, following a virtual meeting of the federal, provincial and territorial ministers of agriculture.
“Now is the time for unity, and we’re working together to deliver for producers right across the country to make sure our programs work for them,” said Heath MacDonald, federal Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food. “That’s why, at our meeting last week, we agreed to make changes to AgriStability so that producers facing trade uncertainty and dry conditions have more protection.”
Effective Friday, July 25, 2025, there are several enhancements for the 2025 AgriStability program year, including:
- increasing the compensation rate from 80% to 90%, meaning producers will receive 90 cents for every dollar of eligible income decline;
- doubling the compensation cap from $3 million to $6 million to offer more equitable protection for larger farms and ranches; and
- advancing interest-free payments to farmers for up to 75% of their anticipated final claim.
B.C. farmers have until Thursday, July 31, 2025, to enrol in AgriStability for the 2025 program year. Application details are available here: https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/industry/agriculture-seafood/programs/agriculture-insurance-and-income-protection-programs/agristability
“We raised concerns we have been hearing from farmers here in B.C. at a national level, and our advocacy is resulting in improvements to AgriStability so B.C. farmers can continue to produce high-quality local food,” said Lana Popham, B.C. Minister of Agriculture and Food. “B.C. led the way on this initiative, making these very same changes to our program last year. It’s great to have the federal government partner with us this year to continue to support farmers.”
These changes respond to international trade concerns and will help many B.C. farmers who are enrolled in the AgriStability program and have suffered income losses from occurences such as extreme weather damage.
“B.C. Agriculture Council welcomes these enhancements to the AgriStability program, which plays a critical role in supporting agricultural producers navigate uncertainty,” said Jennifer Woike, president, B.C. Agriculture Council (BCAC). “The improvements take into account the practical considerations that producers must apply to their operations as they respond to market and environmental challenges. BCAC remains committed to working with all levels of government on important program enhancements that support food security and sustainable practices to ensure the economic viability of farms.”
AgriStability is part of the Sustainable Canadian Agricultural Partnership and helps protect farmers from large drops in income due to factors such as poor yields, rising costs or market changes.
Quick Facts:
- AgriStability offers personalized coverage for each farm based on income tax and production information.
- AgriStability is a whole-farm, low-cost business risk-management program that helps farm operations manage large declines in net farming income.
- Almost 2,500 farmers are enrolled in B.C.’s AgriStability program.
- Program costs are shared 60% by Canada, 40% by British Columbia.
