Loan
Provincial
Active
La Financière agricole du Québec (FADQ) Farm Loan Guarantees and Financing
La Financière agricole du Québec (FADQ)
Loan Range
Loan guarantees, not direct loans. Loan Guarantees at Advantage...
Ongoing
Difficulty
Moderate
Payment
Loan
Trend
Stable
First-Timers
Friendly ✓
Financing share
Varies
La Financière agricole du Québec (FADQ) Farm Loan Guarantees and Financing provides loan guarantees, not direct loans. Loan Guarantees at Advantage Plus Rate: one or more agricultural loans of up to $15,000,000 per farm business from a financial institution, with a discount of 0.30 to 0.60 off the interest rate for the entire term. Development Loan Guarantee: up to $1,000,000 per farm operation for start-up and expansion projects, emerging sectors and low-equity businesses. Leverage Loan Guarantee: up to $100,000 with no real estate or personal property guarantee, amortization up to 10 years. Line of Credit: guarantee of up to 50 per cent of a line of credit, to a maximum of $1,000,000 guaranteed, rate never above prime plus 2 per cent. Sustainable Growth Investment: partial reimbursement of interest on FADQ-guaranteed financing, on up to $700,000 of eligible financing per business, paid over three years. Québec's agricultural financing agency guarantees farm loans from the bank or credit union of your choice: up to $15 million per farm business, with 0.30 to 0.60 off the interest rate for the full term. Applications are accepted on an ongoing basis.
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Eligibility & Details
What this program funds and who can apply
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Program Description
Québec's agricultural financing agency guarantees farm loans from the bank or credit union of your choice: up to $15 million per farm business, with 0.30 to 0.60 off the interest rate for the full term. Complementary guarantees cover higher-risk start-ups and expansions (up to $1 million) and small loans with no real estate security (up to $100,000), plus guaranteed lines of credit, a capital payment holiday for aspiring farmers and interest reimbursement on sustainable investments.
Eligibility Requirements
- Be over 18 years of age and domiciled in Québec
- Your business must be held by at least 50 per cent of individuals practising agriculture
- Show good profit-making potential
- Abide by the environmental standards of the Environment Quality Act and the Agricultural Operations Regulations, including the phosphorus report and operating rights
- Other conditions may apply depending on project type (program text in French)
- Guaranteed loans are made by an accredited financial institution of your choice
Provinces
Industries
Business Stage
Quick Assessment
Difficulty
Moderate
Competition
Low
First-Timer
Friendly
Funding Details
- Amount
- Loan guarantees, not direct loans. Loan Guarantees at Advantage Plus Rate: one or more agricultural loans of up to $15,000,000 per farm business from a financial institution, with a discount of 0.30 to 0.60 off the interest rate for the entire term. Development Loan Guarantee: up to $1,000,000 per farm operation for start-up and expansion projects, emerging sectors and low-equity businesses. Leverage Loan Guarantee: up to $100,000 with no real estate or personal property guarantee, amortization up to 10 years. Line of Credit: guarantee of up to 50 per cent of a line of credit, to a maximum of $1,000,000 guaranteed, rate never above prime plus 2 per cent. Sustainable Growth Investment: partial reimbursement of interest on FADQ-guaranteed financing, on up to $700,000 of eligible financing per business, paid over three years.
- Type
- Loan
- Level
- Provincial
- Deadline
- Ongoing
Program Scorecard
Competition, effort, and approval at a glance
Competition
Low
Deadline
Ongoing
Approval
Varies
Accessibility
3/5
Moderate — standard application process
Competition
1/5
Low competition — good odds of approval
Difficulty
3/5
Moderate — standard requirements
Processing Time
Budget Trend
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How to qualify
Insider tips, common pitfalls, and what successful applicants look like
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Insider TipThe value is the rate, not new money: an FADQ guarantee takes 0.30 to 0.60 off your lender's rate for the whole term, and you keep the bank of your choice (FADQ publishes a list of accredited lenders).
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Rejection Pitfalls 4
- Business is not held at least 50 per cent by individuals practising agriculture
+3 more pitfalls
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Success Profile
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Evaluation Criteria
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All 4 pitfalls, the checklist and the reviewer notes are in the Playbook below. See what it includes ↓
What's in this Playbook
Everything you need to secure FADQ
Not a marketing summary. The actual checklist, intel, and stack strategy reviewers look for.
- 4 rejection pitfalls reviewers flag — so you catch them first
- 4-document checklist with what each reviewer is actually checking
- Your Application Game Plan — the print-ready PDF the preview below describes
- 5-step application timeline with prep hours per step
- Insider tip from program officers on what separates winners
- 3-program stacking strategy to combine with compatible funding
- Success profile + evaluation criteria — exactly what lenders look for
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Application Playbook
Step-by-step process, required documents, and expenses
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5 steps
4 docs
Application Steps
1
Check eligibility Over 18, domiciled in Québec, business at least 50 per cent held by practising farmers, environmental compliance.
Required Documents 4
✓ Application for financing or a grant (FADQ form)
✓ Individual sheet
Eligible Expenses 6
Ineligible Expenses 1
Deadline Notes
Ineligible Organizations
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Funding Stack Strategy
Compatible programs, clawback risk, and combined funding potential
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3 partners
Compatible Programs
Financial Support for Aspiring Farmers 2 (FADQ)
AgriStability Program
Farm Credit Canada (FCC) Financing
Combined Funding Potential
See your total funding potential
Clawback Risk
Not-applicable Risk
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How FADQ Compares
Side-by-side with similar programs
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| Program | Amount | Difficulty | Payment | Deadline |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| La Financière agricole du Québec (FAD... | up to $15,000,000 | Moderate | Loan | Ongoing |
| AgriStability Program | Up to $3,000,000 | Moderate | Advance Payment | Annual enrollment — 2027... |
| Farm Credit Canada (FCC) Financing | Varies | Easy | Loan | Ongoing |
| CanExport SMEs | Up to $50,000 | Moderate | Mixed (Advance + Reimb.) | Between intakes — the... |
| Export Development Canada (EDC) Finan... | Varies | Easy | Equity | Ongoing |
Related Programs
Other programs you might be eligible for
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Frequently Asked Questions
Quick answers to the questions founders most often ask about FADQ
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Does FADQ lend money directly to farmers?
Its main products are guarantees: you borrow from a financial institution of your choice and FADQ guarantees the loan, which brings a discount of 0.30 to 0.60 off the interest rate for the whole term.
Who is eligible for an FADQ loan guarantee?
Applicants over 18 and domiciled in Québec, whose business is held at least 50 per cent by individuals practising agriculture, with good profit-making potential and environmental compliance.
How large a loan can FADQ guarantee?
Up to $15,000,000 per farm business under the Advantage Plus Rate guarantee. The Development guarantee goes up to $1,000,000 and the Leverage guarantee up to $100,000.
Is there anything for farmers just starting out?
Yes. The Development and Leverage guarantees target start-ups and low-equity businesses, Capital Support offers a capital payment holiday of up to five years, and a separate grant exists for aspiring farmers under 40.
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Full Playbook: FADQ
5 steps · 4 docs · reviewer insights