Excess rain initiative
Last Update: June 19, 2025
Lévis, QC
Financial aid for farms affected by 2023 Québec rainfall
Excess rain initiative at a glance
Eligible Funding
- From $75 to $350,000
- Up to 70% of project cost
Timeline
- Closing date : February 17, 2025
Financing Type
Grant and Funding
Eligible Industries
- Agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting
Grant Providers
- La Financière agricole (FADQ)
Status
Closed
Overview of the Excess rain initiative program
The Canada-Québec initiative provides financial assistance up to $350,000 to agricultural businesses specializing in strawberries, raspberries, potatoes, and field vegetables that incurred additional expenses due to excess rainfall during the 2023 growing season. Eligible activities include expenses such as fertilizer and pesticide purchases, labor costs, and contract work related to mitigating rainfall damage like drainage or decompaction work.
Financing terms and conditions
- Financial assistance covers 70% of eligible expenses exceeding indexed 2022 levels, up to a crop-category maximum.
- For berries (strawberries and raspberries): deductible of $2,346 per hectare, with maximum assistance of $3,613 per hectare.
- For field vegetables: deductible of $587 per hectare, with maximum assistance of $904 per hectare.
- The minimum amount of financial assistance paid is $75.
- The maximum financial assistance per company is $350,000, with payment issued in a single instalment.
Eligible projects & activities
- Restoration and recovery of strawberry, raspberry, potato, and field vegetable crops affected by excess rainfall in 2023.
- Implementation of measures to address and mitigate damages caused by excessive precipitation to eligible agricultural productions.
- Projects supporting the continued operation and sustainability of farms impacted by weather-related disruptions during the 2023 growing season.
Examples of admissible projects:
$ 75,000
A field vegetable producer installs drainage systems to prevent future waterlogging issues.
$ 100,000
A strawberry farm replaces damaged containers and cleans fields after flooding.
$ 40,000
A potato producer hires workers to sort and clean crops affected by heavy rain.
$ 30,000
An agricultural operation invests in soil decompaction work to prepare fields for the next season.
$ 250,000
A carrot producer conducts drainage work to restore field usability after excessive rainfall.
Eligibility criteria of the Excess rain initiative program
- The business must be a registered farm with the Ministère de l'Agriculture, des Pêcheries et de l'Alimentation du Québec (MAPAQ) and hold an agricultural operator-type ministerial identification number (NIM).
- The primary operating site must be located in one of the following Québec regions: Bas-Saint-Laurent, Capitale-Nationale, Centre-du-Québec, Chaudière-Appalaches, Côte-Nord, Estrie, Gaspésie–Îles-de-la-Madeleine, Lanaudière, Laurentides, Laval, Mauricie, Montérégie, Montréal, Outaouais, or Saguenay–Lac-Saint-Jean.
- The business must have produced at least 0.5 hectares of eligible crops (strawberries, raspberries, potatoes, or field vegetables) during the 2023 growing season.
- The business must demonstrate an increase in eligible expenses for the 2023 growing season compared to 2022 (after indexing by 6% and subtracting applicable deductible).
Who is eligible?
- Agricultural businesses specializing in strawberry production
- Agricultural businesses specializing in raspberry production
- Agricultural businesses specializing in potato production
- Agricultural businesses specializing in field vegetable production
Who is not eligible
- Companies not registered as farm businesses with the Ministère de l'Agriculture, des Pêcheries et de l'Alimentation du Québec (MAPAQ).
- Businesses whose main operating site is located outside the specified eligible regions in Québec.
- Enterprises that did not produce a minimum of 0.5 hectares of eligible crops (strawberries, raspberries, potatoes, or other specified field vegetables) during the 2023 growing season.
Eligible expenses
- Purchases of fertilizers and pesticides.
- Replacement of containers (only for strawberry and raspberry crops).
- Labour costs.
- Costs for contract work directly related to excess rainfall (such as culvert repairs, ridging, drainage work, ditch cleaning, levelling, soil decompaction, etc.).
Eligible geographic areas
- Bas-Saint-Laurent
- Capitale-Nationale
- Centre-du-Quebbec
- Chaudie8re-Appalaches
- Côte-Nord
- Estrie
- Gaspésie–Îles-de-la-Madeleine
- Lanaudie8re
- Laurentides
- Laval
- Mauricie
- Monte9re9gie
- Montre9al
- Outaouais
- Saguenay-Lac-Saint-Jean
How to apply to the Excess rain initiative program
1
Preparation before registration
- Make sure you are registered and have registered your agricultural business with MAPAQ with an NIM of the type agricultural operator.
- Submit your financial data for the program year of the 2023 crop season to the FADQ if you participate in the Agri-stability, Agri-Québec Plus, Agri-investment, or Agri-Québec programs.
- If you are not a client of the FADQ, contact the service center in your region to open and activate your online file.
2
Registration
- Wait for the announcement of the availability of the registration form on the FADQ website.
- Complete the online form in your FADQ file.
- Prepare and upload the required supporting documents such as invoices for fixed-price work, or T2042 if necessary for non-participants in the AGRI programs.
3
Submission of documents
- Check the accuracy of all information and documents provided in your registration form.
- Ensure that your registration and all required documents are submitted before February 17, 2025.
4
Follow-up and confirmation
Wait for the receipt of a letter informing you of the result of the analysis of your file by the FADQ.
Additional information
- The registration form is only available through the applicant's online file on the FADQ portal.
- Applicants must upload required supporting documents directly to the registration form within the portal.
- Financial assistance is paid in a single instalment after file analysis by FADQ.
- Businesses will receive written notification about the outcome of their application, regardless of whether assistance is granted.
Contact La Financière agricole (FADQ)
1-800-749-3646
Apply to this program
Loans and Capital investmentsOpen
Lévis, Quebec
Economic development support for Lévis businesses and entrepreneurs
Grant and FundingOpen
Lévis, Quebec
Financial aid for cultural equipment and infrastructure development
Grant and FundingOpen
Lévis, Quebec
Quebec supports entrepreneurs with unified regional business services