Updated June 2026 · Verified against Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Agribusiness (OMAFA) guidelines
✓ First-Timer Friendly Loan Est. 1975
Loan Provincial Active

Tile Loan Program — Ontario Agricultural Drainage

Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Agribusiness (OMAFA)
Loan Range
Up to 75% of tile drainage installation costs, maximum $50,000...
Applications typically accepted May through March annually
Visit Official Program →
Difficulty
Easy
Payment
Loan
Trend
Stable
First-Timers
Friendly ✓
Financing share
75%
Tile Loan Program — Ontario Agricultural Drainage provides Up to 75% of tile drainage installation costs, maximum $50,000 per farmer per year. Low-interest provincial loan program for Ontario agricultural landowners to install underground tile drainage systems. The program covers up to 75% of eligible costs. Applications typically accepted May through March annually. Approval odds: ~85–90% (GrantCompass analysis)
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Eligibility & Details

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Program Description

Low-interest provincial loan program for Ontario agricultural landowners to install underground tile drainage systems. Administered jointly by local municipalities and OMAFA, the program lends up to 75% of tile drainage installation costs (capped at $50,000 per farmer per year) at a provincially-set fixed interest rate, repaid over 10 years. The program is uniquely executed: most loans are processed through the local municipality, which inspects the work, collects annual repayments, and forwards funds to the province. Tile drainage is one of the most significant yield-improving investments available to Ontario crop farmers.

Eligibility Requirements

  • Must be the registered owner of agricultural property in Ontario
  • Agricultural land must have a drainage problem requiring tile drainage
  • Soil must be responsive to drainage (clay or loam soils — not sand or gravel)
  • Property must have a legal discharge outlet for drainage water
  • Only property owners may apply — tenants/renters are not eligible (even on rented farmland)
  • Loan covers installation of new tile drainage systems on agricultural land
  • Only the agricultural property owner may apply — tenants farming rented land must arrange with the property owner. Property must be in Ontario's Farm Tax Class. Soil must be responsive to tile drainage and have sufficient legal outlet for discharge. Ineligible costs: HST, indirect costs (stump removal, fence clearing, land levelling), off-property work, volume rebates, work by unlicensed contractors. Contractors must be licensed by OMAFA under the Agricultural Tile Drainage Installation Act, 1990. Annual loan limit: $50,000 per individual across all roles (individual, partnership, or corporation).
Provinces
Industries
Business Stage
Startup Growth Established

Quick Assessment

Difficulty
Easy
Competition
Low
First-Timer
Friendly

Funding Details

Amount
Up to 75% of tile drainage installation costs, maximum $50,000 per farmer per year
Type
Loan
Level
Provincial
Financing share
Up to 75% of eligible costs
Deadline
Applications typically accepted May through March annually

Program Scorecard

Competition, effort, and approval at a glance

Competition
Low
Deadline
Ongoing
Approval
Good
Approval Rate
~85–90%
Accessibility
--/5
Competition
--/5
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What's in this Playbook

Everything you need to secure Tile Loan Program — Ontario Agricultural D...

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How to qualify

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Insider Tip

This is one of the most cost-effective ways to finance tile drainage — the interest rate is set provincially and fixed for the 10-year term, historically lower than commercial lending rates.

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Success Profile

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Evaluation Criteria

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Application Playbook

Step-by-step process, required documents, and expenses

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Application Steps

1 Assess drainage needs Determine which fields need drainage improvement. Consult a licensed drainage contractor or the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture for drainage assessment.

Required Documents 7

Tile loan application form (from municipality or OMAFA)
Proof of property ownership (property abstract or deed)

Eligible Expenses 5

Ineligible Expenses 5

Deadline Notes

Ineligible Organizations

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Funding Stack Strategy

Compatible programs, clawback risk, and combined funding potential

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Compatible Programs

AgriInvest Sustainable Canadian Agricultural Partnership (SCAP) cost-share programs
Combined Funding Potential See your total funding potential

Clawback Risk

Medium Risk

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How Tile Loan Program — Ontario Agricultural D... Compares

Side-by-side with similar programs

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Program Amount Difficulty Payment Deadline
Tile Loan Program — Ontario Agricultu... Up to 75% of tile drainage... Easy Loan Applications typically...
AgriInvest Program up to $10,000 Easy Advance Payment Annual — 2025 program...
CanExport SMEs Up to $50,000 Moderate Mixed (Advance + Reimb.) Applications accepted...
Export Development Canada (EDC) Finan... Varies Easy Equity Ongoing
Farm Credit Canada (FCC) Financing Varies Easy Loan Ongoing

Related Programs

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Frequently Asked Questions

Quick answers to the questions founders most often ask about Tile Loan Program — Ontario Agricultural D...

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Can tenants apply for this loan?
No — only registered landowners may apply. Tenants, renters, or sharecroppers are ineligible even if they manage the farm. The program requires legal ownership of the agricultural property.
What's the realistic loan amount for a typical farm?
$10,000–$50,000 per application, depending on acreage. Most typical fields cost $15,000–$35,000 to drain. The $50,000 cap applies per farmer per year.
Is there a matching requirement?
Yes — you must cover 25% of installation costs out-of-pocket. The loan covers up to 75% of costs (capped at $50,000). Example: $20,000 project requires $5,000 upfront.
How long does repayment take?
10 years at a fixed provincial interest rate. Repayments are collected annually by your local municipality after they inspect the completed drainage work.
Can I stack this with other programs?
Yes — compatible with AgriInvest (for different farm improvements) and SCAP cost-share programs (if covering different project aspects).

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