House of Commons passes amendments to advance payments program: Menzies supports amendments

June 06, 2006

Claresholm, Alberta – Ted Menzies, Member of Parliament for Macleod and Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of International Cooperation supports the amendments to the Advance Payments Program.

On June 5, 2006, The Honourable Chuck Strahl, Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food and Minister for the Canadian Wheat Board, announced that amendments to the Agricultural Marketing Programs Act (AMPA) to improve cash advance programs for producers has been passed by the House of Commons.

“I am pleased that this new government has been able to work with the opposition to pass these amendments,” said Menzies. “We all recognize the importance of these improvements to the Advance Payments Program and I am pleased that the amendments are moving forward.”

Cash advance programs provide spring and fall cash advances to producers, a portion of which is interest free, to meet high cash flow requirements at spring seeding and fall harvest. The government’s proposed amendments introduced on May 18, 2006 would:

• consolidate the Advance Payments Program (fall) and the Spring Credit Advance Program, as a single program under the AMPA;
• expand the coverage to include livestock and more crops;
• increase the overall limit on advances from $250,000 to $400,000; and
• increase the amount of interest-free advances from $50,000 to $100,000.

“This is just one example of the Conservative Governments Commitment to farmers,” said Menzies. “It is great to see these positive changes moving forward, changes that are long overdue.”

For more information on the Advance Payments Program, producers should call toll free at 1-888-346-2511 or visit http://www.agr.gc.ca/misb/nmp/app/index.html.

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For further information, please contact: The office of Ted Menzies at (613) 995-8471