Cash Advance FAQs

CCGA cash advances are calculated based on the advance rates on this page. The value of cash advance available to each farmer is dependent on:

• the amount of commodity(s) or acres for which you apply,
• the advance rate for that commodity,
• adjustment factors such as crop insurance or AgriStability coverage levels, and
  program eligibility limits.

Producers from British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba can access low-interest financing for more than 50 commodities, all on one application.

Available commodities include crops, such as cereals and coarse grains, oilseed crops, pulses, specialty crops, hay and grasses; honey; and livestock, such as cattle, hogs, bison, sheep, lambs and goats.

Use our interactive Advance Rates page to search for your commodity, province, and given Production Period. This will create a tailored list of Advance Rates for your farm.

Yes. No matter how many commodities (field crops, honey, or livestock) you choose to advance on, you just need to fill out one application.

Your cash advance is for the full amount of what you are approved for, less a $250 administration fee. Farmers receive 60% of an intended spring crop or honey advance when an application is approved and the remaining 40% after seeding is complete, once CCGA receives an Actual Seeded Report. All other advances are issued in full.

Farmers are no longer able to remove commodities from an actual seeded advance when completing the post-harvest report, unless those commodities are damaged. Commodities can still be added.

A Priority Agreement must be completed for each secured creditor that has, or could have, a security interest in or lien on the crops, livestock or sweeteners for which the advance application is being made. Examples of secured creditors may include, but are not limited to, financial lenders and crop input suppliers.

The maximum advance amounts are set by the federal government in the Agricultural Marketing Programs Act (AMPA), which governs the Advance Payments Program (APP). CCGA regularly monitors uptake of the program and provides feedback to AAFC about advance limits.

A cash advance has an administration fee of $250, which is deducted from the first funds issued. If you meet all the given deadlines associated with a cash advance, there are no other fees.

Up to $250,000 is available interest-free, and interest-bearing 2024 advances pay an interest rate of prime less 0.25%. Penalty charges will apply to accounts that go into default status.

The required forms in your CCGA cash advance application are defined by the federal government and the Agricultural Marketing Programs Act (AMPA).

Although the application is long, not all paperwork has to be filled out every single year and some forms are dependent on the type of advance and the time of year in which you apply (e.g. Assignment of Indemnity, Spring Advance vs. Post Harvest/Fall Advance).

In order to know exactly what forms you need to fill out when applying, apply by logging into your online account, or call us at 1.866.745.2256, option 1. We are happy to answer any questions you might have.

Advance rates are calculated by Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC) with the intention of reflecting half (50%) of the selling price for a given commodity. Advance rates are determined prior to the start of the program year and are subject to change at AAFC’s discretion, so be sure to check our Advance Rates page for the latest.

A continuous flow cattle or hog advance is for the producer who always maintains a minimum level of inventory. There are a few important differences between a continuous flow advance and a standard livestock advance:

• Repayment Deadlines: A continuous flow advance gives you 12 months from the issuance date to repay your advance, or the end of the 18-month production period, whichever date comes first. A standard livestock advance gives you up to 24 months to repay your advance
• Repayment Rules: With a continuous flow advance, as long as you maintain your minimum level of inventory (determined during application process), you are allowed to pay off your advance all at once before the deadline defined above, with Proof of Sale documentation from the time the advance was outstanding. With a standard livestock advance, you must submit repayment and Proof of Sale each time stock is sold.
• Registering Security: While a producer must be enrolled in AgriStability to take out any livestock advance, when you apply for continuous flow, we are required to register that security immediately. When it’s a standard livestock advance, we don’t register that security unless you go into default.

Every producer that uses the Advance Payments Program (APP) is initially issued a unique identification number by Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada called the APP Identification number or APP ID.

You will need your APP ID number when you:

1. Apply for a cash advance,
2. Call our office about your account, or
3. Deliver grain and request that the grain buyer submit a repayment to CCGA on your behalf.

Your APP ID can be found on correspondence that you have received from CCGA, including: cheque stubs, letters, account statements, as well as being included with your online account details.

During the Production Period, there are several paperwork and repayment deadlines that must be met to keep your account in good standing and avoid default. They can be found on our Dates and Deadlines page.

Cash advances from CCGA must be repaid as the commodities advanced on are sold (repay as you sell), within 30 days of receiving payment, and prior to the final repayment deadlines below.

Assuming all application paperwork deadlines are satisfied, the following repayment periods apply:

• Advances on field crops, honey, goats, sheep and lambs must be repaid in full by the September 30 end of the 18-month production period
• Advances on cattle and bison must be repaid in full by the March 31 end of the 24-month production period
• Continuous flow advances on cattle and hogs must be repaid within 12 months of the advance being issued or by the September 30 end of the 18-month production period, whichever comes first

Repaying your advance can be done directly to CCGA by sending us a cheque or e-transfer through your financial institution, or indirectly through an authorized buyer.

• Pay through your financial institution. You can pay CCGA directly through your financial institution, making repayments online, over the phone, or in-person at the branch. To do this, add “CCGA” as a Bill Payee, using your APP ID as your account number. If you have any questions about setting this up, call us at 1.866.745.2256, option 2. 
• Send CCGA a cheque. You can mail a cheque referencing your APP ID to the attention of the “Repayments Department” at our Winnipeg office.
• Pay through authorized buyer. For grain repayments only, you can request that an Authorized Buyer make a repayment to CCGA on your behalf, but remember that the buyer has up to 30 calendar days to remit that deduction.

You have three ways to find the outstanding balance of your account: 

1. Sign in to your online account.
2. Call our Balance and Repayments team at 1.866.745.2256, option 2
3. Email our Balance and Repayments team at repay@ccga.ca.

To calculate your minimum repayment, multiply your volume of commodity sold by the Advance Rate borrowed at. Log into the CCGA Cash Advance Account viewer, which includes a Repayment Calculator that removes any guesswork.

Remember that you can always repay up to your total sale amount documented on your Proof of Sale.

Repayments are applied to your cash advance in this order:

1. interest-free principal portion of advance;
2. interest charges;
3. interest-bearing principal portion of advance.

Proof of Sale is required for all repayments, except:

• Grain and honey repayments made directly to CCGA and received before January 31 of the given program year (e.g. for a 2024-25 advance, the deadline would be January 31, 2025).
• Grain repayments made through Authorized Buyers, as they include your Proof of Sale information with the repayment. 

To submit, include your APP ID number and:

• Sign in to your online account to upload a photo or electronic file.
• Email a photo or scan (ensure it is legible) repay@ccga.ca.
• Fax to our Repayments department at 204.788.0039.
• Mail documentation to CCGA's Winnipeg office.

An Insufficient Repayment occurs when a producer makes a repayment without any Proof of Sale or when the Proof of Sale is not compliant with the Repayment Rules and Agreement. The impact of this type of repayment is that the producer will be charged either a Repayment Without Proof of Sale or Late Repayment interest penalty at the rate of:

• CIBC Prime less 0.50% for 2024-25 advances
• CIBC Prime less 0.50% for 2023-24 advances
• CIBC Prime less 0.50% for 2022-23 advances

For 2022, 2023, and 2024 advances, the allowable Repayment without Proof of Sale amount is $10,000 or 10% of the total amount of the advance, whichever is greater.

When you are approved for a cash advance, you agree to meet a few paperwork and repayment deadlines in order to take advantage of a full Production Period for repaying your advance (18 months for crops and honey, 24 months for livestock*). We’ve summed up those deadlines on our Dates and Deadlines page.

At a glance, please remember the following deadlines (dates are for a 2024-25 advance):

• July 31, 2024: Submit your Actual Seeded Advance Report or Anticipated Honey Production Advance Report
• December 31, 2024: Submit your Post Harvest/Fall Report
• September 30, 2025: Final deadline to repay your crops/honey advance in full
• March 31, 2026: Final deadline to repay your livestock advance in full

*Note that different rules apply for continuous flow cattle and hog advances.

Worried about missing a deadline? Be sure that you’re subscribed to our Cash Advance News email blast, which provides deadline reminders and other information regularly. Call 1.866.745.2256 and add an email address to your account to receive the email blast.

If a producer does not meet the obligations of their Application and Repayment Agreement and their account is placed in default, the impact is summarized here:

• The interest-free benefit is lost;
• Default interest is charged at the CIBC Prime Rate + 1% on the outstanding balance from the date the advance was issued to the date of default;
• Default interest is charged at the CIBC Prime Rate + 3% on the outstanding balance from the date of default until repaid in full;
• A one-time Default Fee of $25 is charged;
• A one-time Collection Service Charge of 3-5% is applied to the outstanding balance 45 days after the Default Notice; and
• If a producer defaults:
  • and repays in full within 6 months of being declared in default, they will not be subject to an APP ineligibility period;
  • and repays in full more than 6 months after being declared in default, they will be ineligible to apply for future advances for 1 to 6 years from the date of full repayment, depending on the situation;
  • at least 2 times during their last 3 years of APP participation, they will be ineligible to apply for future advances for 2 years from the date of full repayment of the second defaulted advance.

For full details, please see the cash advance application form for the applicable year. Go to "Section 5.0 - Default" in the Terms & Conditions. Or for information specific to your account, contact our Default and Recoveries department at 1.866.745.2256, option 3.

No. All defaulted outstanding APP balances must be repaid in full, regardless of which administrator issued the advance, before you are eligible to apply for a new advance from CCGA or any other administrator.

For full details, please see the cash advance application form for the applicable year. Go to "Section 5.0 - Default" in the Terms & Conditions. Or contact our Default and Recoveries Department at 1.866.745.2256, option 3.

Here are the application forms from the previous two cash advance program years:

• 2023-24 Advance Payments program Application and Repayment Agreement (for reference only)
• Authorized Buyers List for 2023-24 Cash Advances
• 2022-23 Advance Payments program Application and Repayment Agreement (for reference only)

The Advance Payments Program (APP) is a federal program, delivered and administered by Canadian Canola Growers Association. 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 on the remainder for Canadian producers.

More information about the APP can be found on AAFC's website