MRC Témiscouata — Program for Restoring Underutilized Agricultural Lands (TAD)

This grant offers structured financing modalities designed to assist in the revitalization of underutilized agricultural lands. The modalities focus on advancing project progress and ensuring compliance with financial and operational milestones.

• Maximum 4 payments, proportionate to the progress of work, distributed in minimum tranches of 25% of expenses (before taxes).
• The final 25% of the financial assistance is released after the completion of the work, within 30 days following the submission of a report detailing the completed work, supported by photographs and accompanied by invoices and other justificatory documents (such as hours worked and costs).
• A log of the work must be maintained and submitted to the MRC with each request for disbursement.

Eligibility for this grant is determined by several crucial criteria related to the applicant's ownership and the condition of the land.

• The applicant must be either the owner or the lessee of a piece of land that has remained unused for over 5 years.
• If the land has not been characterized by an agronomist, it must be part of the MAPAQ inventory, necessitating an agronomic potential characterization and fringe state assessment by a certified agronomist.
• The applicant must hold a NIM of an agricultural operator or beneficiary.
• If a lessee, a minimum three-year lease for agricultural purposes with written authorization from the landowner is required.
• The land must be located within the MRC de Témiscouata territory, in a permanent agricultural zone.
• The project should facilitate the cultivation of at least 2 hectares of land.
• The land must not have been maintained or used for any agricultural purposes for at least the past 5 years.
• The project needs to demonstrate seriousness and viability through a business plan for new businesses or a cultivation plan for existing ones.
• The applicant must commit to financing the portion of the project not covered by this or any other funding program.

Who is eligible?

Eligible applicants for the MRC Témiscouata Program for Restoring Underutilized Agricultural Lands (TAD) include both private businesses and non-profit organizations. Specifically, applicants must either own or lease undervalued agricultural lands identified in the MAPAQ inventory or have been characterized by an agronomist. Additionally, these lands must not have been used for agricultural purposes in the past five years and must be located within a permanent agricultural zone in the MRC de Témiscouata territory. Applicants must possess a NIM (agricultural producer or beneficiary number) and, if leasing, a minimum three-year agricultural lease is required with the owner's written consent. Furthermore, a business plan for new enterprises or a crop plan for existing businesses is necessary, alongside a commitment to finance any portion of the project not covered by the program or another funding source.

Eligible expenses

The grant covers expenses related to the restoration of underutilized agricultural lands.

• Costs associated with re-cultivating abandoned land, including clearing, breaking up, shredding, decompacting, and soil preparation, up to 50% of the total work costs.
• Expenses incurred by the agricultural operator for machinery use or personal labor, capped at 50% of the total work costs.
• Machinery rental for tree and shrub cutting.
• Machinery rental for shredding woody material.
• Machinery rental for soil tillage.
• Transportation costs for machinery.
• Labor costs for performing the work.
• Liming costs.
• Professional fees for an agronomist for evaluating the agricultural potential of the land, up to $500 per producer.

Eligible geographic areas

The grant is designated for projects situated within the MRC de Témiscouata. This region is specified to promote revitalization of agricultural land and bolster the local agricultural economy.

• Municipality of Saint-Juste-du-Lac
• Municipality of Saint-Eusèbe
• Municipality of Témiscouata-sur-le-Lac

The evaluation and selection of projects for this grant are conducted based on a point scoring grid, prioritizing projects with the highest scores if financial availability requires selection.

• Projects evaluated using a published scoring grid.

Here are additional relevant details for this grant:

• Training is mandatory for those intending to use their own machinery and labor. This ensures applicants have the necessary skills for effective land recultivation.
• Financial aid disbursement can be requested in up to four installments, contingent on project progress.
• Final documentation and proof of project completion are due by October 31, 2025, to qualify for reimbursement.
• An up-to-date work log is required for each payment request.
• The insights and outcomes of each project will contribute to the broader understanding of revitalizing underutilized agricultural land.