CCGA Begins a New Year Issuing 2020 Cash Advances

Apr 01, 2020

Winnipeg, Manitoba – April 1st is an especially important day at Canadian Canola Growers Association (CCGA), because it’s the day the organization begins issuing new 2020 spring cash advances to farmers across Western Canada.

Along with a new year of issuing advances, come some important changes for farmers who take an Advance Payments Program (APP) cash advance through CCGA. “New this year, we have eliminated the administration fee and reduced the interest rate on interest-bearing advances to prime less 0.75%,” says Rick White, President & CEO at CCGA.

The Advance Payments Program is a federal loan program administered by CCGA. It offers Canadian farmers marketing flexibility through interest-free and low interest cash advances.

Through CCGA, farmers can access advances on over 50 field crop and livestock commodities, as well as honey. Farmers can apply for a cash advance of up to $100,000 interest-free and to a maximum of $1,000,000. The interest-bearing portion is charged an interest rate of prime less 0.75%.

“We’ve already had over 1,300 farmers send in their pre-applications in March, so as soon as those applications are processed and approved, farmers will be notified,” says Dave Gallant, Director of Finance and Operations at CCGA.

Like other organizations, CCGA has changed the way it operates in response to COVID-19. “We’ve made adjustments to how we work to ensure we can continue to serve farmers, while helping to minimize the impact of COVID‑19 on our staff, our customers and our community,” says Gallant.

All CCGA employees are working remotely and CCGA is no longer receiving walk‑in traffic. “The changes we have made are necessary to maintain service for farmers, but they may cause delays in our ability to respond to questions or process advance applications at our normal service standard levels,” says White. “Be assured that we are doing our very best to serve farmers’ needs as effectively as possible.”

Farmers wanting to apply for a cash advance are encouraged to call CCGA at 1-866-745-2256 to apply over the telephone. Farmers can also download an application form at CCGA’s website or existing customers can use the online application system directly accessible from their online account.

CCGA represents canola farmers on national and international issues, policies and programs that impact farm profitability, and has been administrator of the Government of Canada’s Advance Payments Program since 1984.

The Advance Payments Program is a federal loan program administered by CCGA. It offers Canadian farmers marketing flexibility through interest-free and low interest cash advances.

Source : CCGA

Video: Evolution of Beef Cattle Farming

The Clear Conversations podcast took to the road for a special episode recorded in Nashville during CattleCon, bringing listeners straight into the heart of the cattle industry. Host Tracy Sellers welcomed rancher Steve Wooten of Beatty Canyon Ranch in Colorado for a wide-ranging discussion that blended family history and sustainability, particularly as it relates to the future of beef production.

Sustainability emerged as a central theme of the conversation, a word that Wooten acknowledges can mean very different things depending on who you ask. For him, sustainability starts with the soil. Healthy soil produces healthy grass, which supports efficient cattle capable of producing year after year with minimal external inputs. It’s an approach that equally considers vegetation, animal efficiency, and long-term profitability.

That philosophy aligned naturally with Wooten’s involvement in the U.S. Roundtable for Sustainable Beef, where he served as a representative for the Colorado Cattlemen’s Association. The roundtable brings together the entire beef supply chain—from producers to retailers—along with universities, NGOs, and allied industries. Its goal is not regulation, Wooten emphasized, but collaboration, shared learning, and continuous improvement.