For the benefit of our farmers, Horticulture Nova Scotia administers AAFC Advance Payments Program (APP) loans.
Advance Guarantee Agreement
The Advance Payments Program is a federal program, delivered and administered by Horticulture Nova Scotia. Under the program, the Government of Canada provides the loan guarantee, funds the interest-free portion of advances and helps to make low interest rates possible on the remainder for Canadian producers.
Advances provide up to 50 per cent of the average market price producers are expected to receive for their agricultural product. Effective March 25, 2024, the interest-free limit for the 2024 Advanced Payments program is $250,000. The loan periods are up to nine months for fresh produce loans (December 31 deadline) and 18 months for storage and for greenhouse advances. Loans are available for the growing season beginning April 1 of each year, except for greenhouse growers where the start date for advances is earlier at December 1.
Advances are available to producers on a wide variety of vegetables, together with strawberries, raspberries and highbush blueberries; fall loans are available on crops in storage.
The 2024 program will opens April 1 for fresh produce and storable. For forms, please contact Horticulture Nova Scotia at 902-678-9335 or email info@horticulturens.ca; please note an administration fee of 1 per cent for members, 1.5 for associate members, and 3 per cent for non-members is applicable.
And for more information on APP, please visit http://www.agr.gc.ca/eng/?id=1290176119212.
Below are the advance rates for 2024:
Blueberries – High Bush – Fresh | Non-Storable | 1.6277 | Pound | |
Raspberries – Fresh Market | Non-Storable | 1.9352 | Pound | |
Strawberries – Fresh Market | Non-Storable | 1.1339 | Pound | |
Strawberry Plants | Storable | 0.0582 | Plant | |
Beans – Dry | Storable | 0.4074 | Pound | |
Asparagus | Non-Storable | 1.7479 | Pound | |
Beets | Storable | 0.1717 | Pound | |
Broccoli | Non-Storable | 0.4918 | Pound | |
Brussel Sprouts | Storable | 0.7411 | Pound | |
Cabbage | Storable | 0.1077 | Pound | |
Carrots | Storable | 0.1164 | Pound | |
Cauliflower | Non-Storable | 0.3453 | Pound | |
Corn – Sweet | Non-Storable | 0.2764 | Pound | |
Leeks | Storable | 0.8061 | Pound | |
Lettuce – Romaine | Non-Storable | 0.5578 | Pound | |
Onion – Bulb | Storable | 0.1009 | Pound | |
Pumpkins | Non-Storable | 0.0970 | Pound | |
Radishes | Non-Storable | 0.3376 | Pound | |
Rutabagas | Storable | 0.1639 | Pound | |
Spinach | Non-Storable | 1.5433 | Pound | |
Squash – Summer | Non-Storable | 0.2474 | Pound | |
Squash – Winter | Storable | 0.2474 | Pound | |
Tomatoes – Field | Non-Storable | 0.6722 | Pound | |
GH – Cucumbers – Long English | Non-Storable | 2.9100 | Dozen | |
GH – Tomatoes – Beefsteak | Non-Storable | 0.4850 | Pound | |
GH – Tomatoes – Cluster | Non-Storable | 0.4850 | Pound | |
Potatoes | Storable | 4.3650 | CWT |