Payments increase for Canola 4R Advantage

Farmers will improve the return on investment for fertilizer when following 4R practices – Right source of fertilizer used at the Right rate, at the Right time and in the Right place. These practices are also environmentally beneficial as they reduce nutrient loss to the air and water. With clear wins for farm economics and the overall environment, 4R has strong support from farmers, the government and the Canola Council of Canada (CCC). The CCC has a goal to see 4R nutrient stewardship practices used on 90 per cent of canola acres.

The Canola 4R Advantage program provides financial incentive to farmers initiating or advancing best management practices (BMPs) in four areas: soil testing, field zone mapping, preferred application (spring instead of fall, for example) and enhanced efficiency fertilizers.

Year two of Canola 4R Advantage will cover expenses invoiced and paid by growers between April 1, 2023 and March 31, 2024. In year two, the program is expanding opportunities in several ways:

• More dollars per BMP: Growers can now seek up to $20,000 in assistance for each of the four eligible BMPs. It was $6,000 per BMP in year one. Please note that year two applications for the preferred application BMP will be paused until 2024, when seasonal price differentials for nitrogen fertilizer can be determined.

• More BMPs per farm: Each farm can seek support for all BMPs covered by the program, versus a maximum of two BMPs in year one.

• Added eligibility for 4R plan development: The program can reimburse a portion of the consulting fees paid for a 4R designated agronomist to develop a growers’ 4R Nutrient Stewardship Plan.

• Funding continued adoption of new practices: Growers can seek funding to continue BMPs that were started since February 7, 2022.

Canola 4R Advantage is one of 13 programs being delivered by Canadian agricultural organizations with funding from Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada’s On-Farm Climate Action Fund (OFCAF). Other program details established by Agriculture and

Agri-Food Canada will remain in place, including the 85 per cent reimbursement cap for eligible expenses and a maximum $75,000 limit in total funding received by a farm business across all OFCAF programs over the two-year OFCAF program lifetime.

For complete program details visit canolacouncil.org/4r-advantage. The site includes the new, user-friendly digital portal where growers can check the status of their participation through all stages of the process, from applying to submitting claims.

Kara Annand owns Ag Grow Consulting with locations across Saskatchewan. Annand, an agronomist with the 4R designation, has signed up 15 to 20 growers herself to receive money through Canola 4R Advantage. Her agronomy team, as of mid July, had signed up over 30 in total.

“It was a no brainer to help our growers get this funding,” Annand says. “We were doing the work anyway, so this gave the growers a chance to get recognized and get financial support for their 4R practices.” Most of Ag Grow’s applications were for soil testing and field zone mapping.

Annand says the application process has been streamlined for the new program year, making it easier for designated agronomists and farmers to file the paperwork.