Farm Credit Canada (FCC) has unveiled a new Sustainability Incentive Program that will support crop producers who follow Fertilizer Canada’s 4R Nutrient Stewardship program using AgExpert. The program encourages producers to adopt 4R best management practices to help protect the environment without compromising their competitiveness.
The program was announced earlier this month at the Western Canadian Crop Production Show in Saskatoon, giving producers time to participate in the program as soon as the 2024 crop year.
“This program brings together the innovation, science, and expertise growers can leverage to meet the growing demand for food produced in a profitable and sustainable way,” said Justine Hendricks, FCC president and CEO, in a statement. “We see an opportunity to reward FCC customers who follow Fertilizer Canada’s 4R Nutrient Stewardship Program. Streamlining the data management and verification process through AgExpert creates a simple way for producers to implement climate smart agricultural practices and create the best outcomes for their operations.”
To be eligible for the Sustainability Incentive Program an FCC customer with active lending must:
- Have a 4R Nutrient Stewardship plan in place
- During the crop year record production activities, such as fertilizer applications in AgExpert Field
- Have 4R best management practices verified by a 4R designated agronomist within AgExpert Field by the end of the growing season
“Before planting, producers will work with their 4R designated agronomist to plan their crop year and then follow the practices outlined by Fertilizer Canada’s 4R Nutrient Stewardship program throughout the crop cycle,” said Curtis Grainger, FCC director of sustainability programs. “Using AgExpert, agronomists can verify producers have followed the 4R plan, then following the crop year, producers can use that verification to apply for the Sustainability Incentive Program.”
Fertilizer Canada’s 4R Nutrient Stewardship is a framework of best management practices that follow the right source of fertilizer at the right rate, right time, and right place. Using these practices help producers increase production, farmer profitability, and enhance environmental protection. For more on how 4R can be applied to manure, read this 2022 feature by James Careless.
For more information, visit fcc.ca.
