Ottawa, Saskatchewan Announce Changes to 2025 AgriStability Program

The federal and Saskatchewan governments on Monday announced changes to the AgriStability program aimed at providing more support for producers amid trade uncertainty and ongoing dry conditions. 

For the 2025 program year only, AgriStability participants will see an increase in the compensation rate from to 90% from the current 80%, meaning producers who access a benefit will now receive 90 cents on every dollar of eligible margin decline, generating larger payments, said a provincial release. The margin protection AgriStability can provide is unique to each farm, making it important for producers to understand their historical reference margin.  

In addition, for the 2025 program year only, the maximum payment cap is doubling to $6 million per operation.  

Starting in the 2026 program year, AgriStability will see adjustments to the feed inventory pricing for livestock producers. This permanent change ensures the program appropriately captures the feed inventory valuation method for inventories destined to be used on farm and not sold. This change ensures program calculations properly reflect farm realities, especially in years of dry conditions, the release said. 

Finally, the release said AgriStability allowable expenses are under consideration for the 2026 program year. This includes considering feed expenses from grazing on rented pasture as an eligible expense, which means if a producer rents pasture, AgriStability would capture the value of the feed consumed by livestock and include it as an allowable expense.