Important changes to AgriInvest for 2025

Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada are introducing two key changes to the AgriInvest program in 2025.

These changes include new filing deadlines, as well a new requirement for an agri-environmental risk assessment to be completed by those operations who meet specific criteria.

New filing deadlines

Starting with the 2025 program year, the deadline to file your AgriInvest program form will be:

• June 30, 2026 - initial deadline to submit your 2025 form without penalty
• September 30, 2026 - final deadline to submit your 2025 form with penalty

Agri-environmental risk requirement

Who has to complete the assessment?

If your average Allowable Net Sales (ANS), before the ANS limit is applied, is $1 million or more for the previous 3 program years, you must have an eligible and valid agri-environmental risk assessment to receive matching government contributions.

Example

• $1,100,000 (2022 ANS) + $1,000,000 (2023 ANS) + $1,250,000 (2024 ANS) = $3,350,000
• $3,350,000/3 = $1,116,666.67 (average ANS for 2025 program year)

Your agri-environmental risk assessment must be valid at some point during your 2025 fiscal year, and if you’re in your 2025 fiscal year, but have not yet filed your 2023 and/or 2024 AgriInvest forms, you must submit a declaration if you expect your average ANS for 2022 - 2024 to be $1 million or more.

What is an agri-environmental risk assessment?

It’s an assessment that identifies agri-environmental risks on farming operations and includes sustainability tools that support a producer in mitigating measures. The assessment gives producers direction on how to improve their farm’s health and safety, add value to their property, reduce costs and improve competitiveness.

They are used to evaluate:

• practices in soil and nutrient management
• crop and pest management
• water, biodiversity and land use
• handling and storage of farm inputs
• waste, by-products, pollution
• energy efficiency
• livestock and feed management

Why does AgriInvest need this risk assessment now?

The agri-environmental risk assessment is a way to support positive environmental outcomes.

Under the Sustainable Canadian Agricultural Partnership, there is a commitment by governments to integrate climate risk management, environmental practices and climate readiness into business risk management programming that would encourage awareness and action to help producers respond to the challenges of climate change.

Which agri-environmental risk assessments are eligible for AgriInvest?

• Canadian Roundtable for Sustainable Beef (CRSB) Sustainable Beef Production Standard
• Certified Organic
• Environmental Farm Plan
• Nutrient Management Plans (such as manure management)
• Nutrient Management Plans from 4R Designated or Certified Experts
• Saskatchewan agri-environmental risk assessment
• Plan agroenvironnemental de fertilisation
• Plan d’accompagnement agroenvironnemental

*AgriInvest is unable to provide a list of agri-environmental risk assessments available for each province or commodity type. AgriInvest is not directly involved with the delivery of the agri-environmental risk assessments. You’ll need to determine which agri-environmental risk assessment is available in your province and appropriate for your commodity type. You’ll need to contact the provider to determine any cost associated with getting the agri-environmental risk assessment.

• If your agri-environmental risk assessment isn’t listed as one of the eligible agri-environmental risk assessments, it isn’t eligible for AgriInvest
• If none of the agri-environmental risk assessment options are attainable for your farm before your 2025 fiscal year-end, they may consider the circumstances, on a case-by-case basis, and allow for some flexibility

Making a declaration

When do I submit my declaration?

You can submit a declaration once you have an eligible agri-environmental risk assessment in place.

• You should submit your declaration before making your matchable deposit to avoid delays in receiving the matching government contributions. You must make your matchable deposit by the deadline on your Deposit Notice.
• If you make your deposit before submitting your declaration, they won’t deposit matching government contributions to your AgriInvest account until they receive your declaration.
• If you don’t submit your declaration by the deadline, you won’t be eligible for matching government contributions.

How do I submit a declaration?

You can declare that you have an eligible and valid agri-environmental risk assessment in place for the program year in your My AAFC Account.

Other

• If you got your agri-environmental risk assessment before or during your 2025 fiscal year, and it doesn’t have an expiration date, then the assessment will be considered valid for the 2025 program year
• You must submit a declaration every year that your average ANS (before the ANS limit is applied) is $1 million or more, unless you have an eligible agri-environmental risk assessment that is valid for more than one fiscal year
• You don’t have to provide a copy of your agri-environmental risk assessment to submit your declaration, however, the Administration may contact you later and ask for a copy
• If you're in a partnership, each partner with an average ANS of $1 million or more must submit a declaration confirming they have an eligible and valid agri-environmental risk assessment
• If you're combined with another farm and one or more members of a whole farm have an average ANS of $1 million or more, one member must submit a declaration confirming they have an eligible and valid agri-environmental risk assessment.

What happens if I don't declare?

If you must declare that you have an eligible and valid agri-environmental risk assessment in place and you don’t, you won’t receive matching government contributions for the program year.

• You will remain eligible to participate in the AgriInvest program if you filed your AgriInvest form and report farming income (loss) to the Canada Revenue Agency by the final filing deadline

Questions?

If you have any questions about this article, need help with AgriInvest, or want to know more about the services we offer, please contact one of our Agriculture Accounting Experts or complete the contact form below.