Québec Farm Programs (FADQ, ASRA) and Software

Québec runs its own farm-support system alongside the federal programs, and its farm sector works largely in French. This guide sets out who does what, how the main provincial programs work, how reporting to La Financière agricole du Québec (FADQ) works, and what to check when choosing farm software for a team that works in English, French or both.

Québec farming in numbers

The 2021 Census of Agriculture counted 29,380 farms in Québec, up 1.6% from 28,919 in 2016, according to Statistics Canada. The 2026 census is under way, so these figures will be updated when results are released.

FADQ and MAPAQ

La Financière agricole du Québec is a provincial agency that provides income protection, insurance and financing to the agricultural and agri-food sector. The Ministère de l'Agriculture, des Pêcheries et de l'Alimentation (MAPAQ) is the provincial ministry responsible for agriculture, fisheries and food. Its mission is a quality food supply and a prosperous, sustainable sector, and it monitors the food chain for public health and for animal health and welfare.

The provincial programs

The ones farms most often ask about:

ASRA (Assurance stabilisation des revenus agricoles): a group program that pays compensation when the average selling price falls below the stabilised income. Insurable products include cereals, canola and livestock.
Agri-Québec: a savings program with annual deposits and matching government contributions, at different rates from AgriInvest, for productions not covered by ASRA or supply management. There is a bonus for farms moving to organic production.
Agri-Québec Plus: additional financial assistance for businesses that take part in AgriStability and operate outside ASRA and supply management.
Agri-stabilité and AgriInvest: Québec's delivery of the federal AgriStability and AgriInvest programs, run by FADQ rather than by AAFC.

Eligibility rules, rates and recent changes differ by program and are published by FADQ. We have not repeated figures here because they change, so check FADQ for your program year.

How reporting to FADQ works

Producers deal with FADQ through its online client file, where they can see program information, submit financial data for AgriStability and related programs, apply for financing and manage Agri-Québec and AgriInvest deposits and withdrawals. Financial data goes in through FADQ's secure online entry tool, often prepared by accredited financial-data preparers such as accountants. We found no public statement that farm software has to integrate with FADQ's systems, or that such an integration exists, so be sceptical of any vendor that says it does.

Choosing farm software when your team works in English and French

Questions worth asking any vendor:

Is the interface available in French, and is French-language support documented?
Are reports, emails and help pages in the language your accountant and preparer use?
Where is the data stored, and which services outside Canada touch it?
Can you export your records in a form your preparer can use?
What does the product not do? Programs like ASRA and Agri-stabilité run through FADQ, not through farm software.

AgriIntel is English only today. A French interface is on the roadmap but is not available, and AgriIntel does not connect to FADQ. What it does is forecast weather for each farm's coordinates, email frost, heat and wind alerts, and keep farm and acreage records. If your team needs a French interface now, choose a tool that already has one.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does AgriIntel work in French?

No. The interface and the emails it sends are in English, and a French interface is on the roadmap. It is not available today.

Do I need farm software that integrates with FADQ?

We found no public requirement for it. FADQ takes financial data through its own online tools, often via accredited preparers, so ask your preparer what they need before buying software for that purpose.

Is AgriStability available in Québec?

Yes. FADQ delivers it, known in French as Agri-stabilité, together with the provincial top-up Agri-Québec Plus. AgriInvest in Québec is also run by FADQ, alongside Agri-Québec.

What is ASRA?

A Québec group program that compensates producers when the average selling price falls below the stabilised income, covering products such as cereals, canola and livestock. FADQ runs it, and detailed eligibility is published by FADQ.

AgriIntel forecasts the weather for each farm's coordinates and emails frost, heat and wind alerts. It is English only today. Try AgriIntel free for 14 days.

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Farming in Québec: FADQ Programs, MAPAQ and Choosing Farm Software