Ontario Enhancing Supports to Help Beef Farmers Expand Their Businesses

TORONTO — The Ontario government is continuing its commitment to supporting the province’s beef sector by doubling the amount of money eligible farmers can borrow through the Feeder Cattle Guarantee Program.

Effective immediately, loan limits for the Feeder Cattle Loan Guarantee Program are increasing from $500,000 to $1 million for experienced individual co-op members and up to $1.5 million for experienced corporations that participate in feeder cattle co-operatives.

“Our beef farmers work tirelessly each day producing world class products and playing a vital role in our food supply chain,” said Minister Thompson, Minister of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs. “These improvements to the Feeder Cattle Loan Guarantee Program build on a series of enhancements our government has put in place to support our beef farmers and the agri-food supply chain. It’s important that we keep listening to the needs of these agri-food heroes and give them the tools they need to help lead our sector.”

These improvements will help beef farmers better manage fluctuating production costs and market volatility as they work to expand their businesses and ensure the sector retains the knowledge and expertise of experienced farmers. By providing beef farming businesses access to greater amounts of low-cost capital, this move also adds to the many efforts to support pandemic recovery across the agri-food sector.

The increased loan limits build on a variety of other recent actions to enhance the efficiency of the program for its participating members. These include red tape reductions announced in 2019 in conjunction with changes introduced through the Restoring Ontario's Competitiveness Act.

“The collaborative effort between Minister Thompson and the beef sector to implement improvements to the Ontario Feeder Cattle Loan Guarantee Program is very much appreciated,” said Rob Lipsett, President of Beef Farmers of Ontario. “This is an important program that provides affordable and accessible financing options for many younger members who represent the future of our industry. An increase in the loan limits will help ensure financing limits keep pace with the price of cattle and in turn, maintain the program’s relevancy and benefits for Ontario’s cattle feeding sector.”

The Beef Farmers of Ontario is assisting in the delivery of this programming.

“On behalf of the 759 members enrolled in the Ontario Feeder Cattle Loan Guarantee Program, we are grateful for today’s announcement,” said Steve Eby, Chair of the Ontario Feeder Finance Provincial Council. “The increase in loan limits will allow each of our 15 co-ops to continue to attract and maintain members with various sized cattle operations, and also provide an opportunity for expansion utilizing the co-operative structure of the Ontario Feeder Cattle Loan Guarantee Program.”