Loan
Provincial
Active
New Brunswick Livestock Incentive Loan Program
Government of New Brunswick, Department of Agriculture, Aquaculture and Fisheries
Loan Range
Up to $75,000
Ongoing
Difficulty
Moderate
Payment
Loan
Trend
Stable
First-Timers
—
Financing share
90%
New Brunswick Livestock Incentive Loan Program provides up to $75,000. New Brunswick farmers borrow from their own bank or credit union to buy livestock, and the Department of Agriculture, Aquaculture and Fisheries stands behind the loan. Applications are accepted on an ongoing basis.
Eligibility check
Do you qualify for this loan?
Get your instant eligibility verdict plus a head start on the application. Free, no account needed.
We use this program’s real eligibility rules. 4 short questions follow.
Want your full match picture across 850+ programs? Take the 2-minute quiz →
Eligibility & Details
What this program funds and who can apply
Free
Program Description
New Brunswick farmers borrow from their own bank or credit union to buy livestock, and the Department of Agriculture, Aquaculture and Fisheries stands behind the loan. The guarantee covers up to 90% of a loan of up to $75,000, and caps the interest the lender may charge at its prime rate plus 1%. Both full-time and part-time farmers may apply. The regulation lists the animals that qualify: cattle, sheep and swine, either for breeding or for feeding and finishing for slaughter, plus foxes and mink for breeding. Repayment follows the animal: a feeder loan is due when the animals are sold and in any case within 18 months, while a breeding loan can run up to seven years. The farmer puts down at least 10% of the purchase price. It runs year-round under the Livestock Incentives Act and New Brunswick Regulation 88-235, with one application form shared across the department's agriculture, fisheries and aquaculture lending.
Eligibility Requirements
- Both full-time and part-time farmers may apply
- Under the Livestock Incentives Act a farmer is an individual residing in New Brunswick who is engaged in farming on land in New Brunswick, or a partnership, corporation or cooperative engaged in farming on land in New Brunswick
- The business plan must show reasonable chances of viability and must demonstrate that a demand exists for the products
- The applicant must have acceptable agricultural knowledge and business skills, and an acceptable credit history
- The project must fit with the province's sector strategies, in terms of impact on agricultural land, jobs, export sales and markets
- Acceptable security must be provided for the proposed financing
- The applicant must invest at least 10% equity in the project, and the regulation requires a down payment of at least 10% of the livestock purchase price
- The animals must be ones the regulation designates: cattle, sheep and swine for breeding purposes or for feeding and finishing for slaughter, and foxes and mink for breeding purposes
- The loan has to be made by a bank to which the Bank Act applies or by a credit union under the Credit Unions Act
Provinces
Industries
Business Stage
Quick Assessment
Difficulty
Moderate
Competition
Low
First-Timer
Not rated
Funding Details
- Amount
- Up to $75,000Loans of up to $75,000, guaranteed by the Department rather than lent by it. The regulation sets the maximum at the lesser of 90% of the livestock purchase price and $75,000, and caps the total of all a farmer's outstanding livestock loans at $75,000. The minimum loan is $1,000. The lender may charge no more than 1% above its prevailing minimum commercial lending rate, which the service page states as lenders' prime interest rate plus 1%. The guarantee term runs up to 18 months for feeder livestock and up to seven years for breeding livestock. The farmer must put down at least 10% of the purchase price.
- Type
- Loan
- Level
- Provincial
- Financing share
- Up to 90% of eligible costs
- 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
Premium
See processing time and budget trend for this program — and exactly what it takes to win it.
How to qualify
Insider tips, common pitfalls, and what successful applicants look like
Premium
Insider TipStart with your bank or credit union, not with the province.
Premium
See what trips up most applicants for this program — and how to avoid it.
Rejection Pitfalls 10
- The applicant is not farming on land in New Brunswick, or an individual applicant does not live in the province
+9 more pitfalls
Premium
See the most common reasons applications get rejected — before you submit yours.
Success Profile
Premium
See what successful applicants for this program actually look like.
Evaluation Criteria
Premium
See exactly what lenders look for — so you know where to focus.
Premium
All 10 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 New Brunswick Livestock Incentive Loan Program
Not a marketing summary. The actual checklist, intel, and stack strategy reviewers look for.
- 10 rejection pitfalls reviewers flag — so you catch them first
- 8-document checklist with what each reviewer is actually checking
- Your Application Game Plan — the print-ready PDF the preview below describes
- 6-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
Premium covers every program, plus the workspace that walks you through each application.
Application Playbook
Step-by-step process, required documents, and expenses
Premium
6 steps
8 docs
Application Steps
1
Decide what you are buying and check it qualifies The regulation designates cattle, sheep and swine for breeding or for feeding and finishing for slaughter, and foxes and mink for breeding. Work out which, because it sets the repayment term.
Required Documents 8
✓ Application for Financial Assistance (Loans and Loan Guarantees), the department's shared form, with the Livestock Incentive Loan box ticked
✓ A business plan covering the business and the proposed project, a management plan and the owners' qualifications, a marketing plan, and production details across three past and three projected years
Eligible Expenses 3
Ineligible Expenses 3
Deadline Notes
Ineligible Organizations
Premium
The full guide for this program also covers:
- 5 more application steps
- 6 more required documents
- 3 eligible expenses
- 3 ineligible expenses
- Deadline notes
- Ineligible organizations
Funding Stack Strategy
Compatible programs, clawback risk, and combined funding potential
Premium
3 partners
Compatible Programs
New Brunswick Agriculture Loan and Loan Guarantees
Canadian Agricultural Loans Act (CALA) Program
Farm Credit Canada financing
Combined Funding Potential
See your total funding potential
Clawback Risk
Not-applicable Risk
Premium
See which programs combine with this one — and how much more you could get.
How New Brunswick Livestock Incentive Loan Program Compares
Side-by-side with similar programs
Free
| Program | Amount | Difficulty | Payment | Deadline |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| New Brunswick Livestock Incentive Loa... | up to $75,000, | Moderate | Loan | Ongoing |
| New Brunswick Agriculture Loan and Lo... | No loan amount or ceiling is... | Hard | Loan | Ongoing |
| Canadian Agricultural Loans Act (CALA... | Up to $500,000 | Easy | Loan | Ongoing (apply through... |
| 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
Free
Frequently Asked Questions
Quick answers to the questions founders most often ask about New Brunswick Livestock Incentive Loan Program
Free
Does the province lend me the money?
No. You borrow from a bank or a credit union, and the Department of Agriculture, Aquaculture and Fisheries guarantees up to 90% of that loan. The Act limits the lenders to banks under the Bank Act and credit unions under the Credit Unions Act.
How much can I borrow?
Up to $75,000, and no more than 90% of what you pay for the animals. The $75,000 is the cap on everything you have outstanding under the program at one time, not per purchase. The minimum loan is $1,000.
What animals qualify?
Cattle, sheep and swine, either for breeding or for feeding and finishing for slaughter, and foxes and mink for breeding purposes. Those are the animals the regulation designates.
How long do I have to repay?
It depends on the animals. A loan for feeders is due when they are sold and in full within 18 months of the loan date. A loan for breeding stock can run up to seven years, with the first principal payment not due sooner than two years unless the Minister allows otherwise.
What interest will I pay?
No more than 1% above the lender's prevailing minimum commercial lending rate, which the department states as lenders' prime interest rate plus 1%. Interest is payable at least annually.
Do part-time farmers qualify?
Yes. The department states that both full-time and part-time farmers may apply. You still need a viable plan, acceptable agricultural knowledge and business skills, an acceptable credit history, acceptable security and at least 10% equity in the project.
Browse More Funding
Full Playbook: New Brunswick Livestock Incentive Loan Program
6 steps · 8 docs · reviewer insights