Eligibility

To be eligible under the Program, you must:

• be registered with the MAPAQ, in accordance with the Regulation respecting the registration of agricultural operations and the payment of property taxes and compensations, at the time of application.
• have incurred, between March 15, 2020, and February 26, 2021, eligible expenses to limit the spread of COVID-19 within your business and to ensure the health and safety of your workers.
• not have received other government assistance for the expenses you are claiming.
• have had a total of 10 employees at your employ at the same time, for a minimum of 4 weeks, and who worked at least 25 hours with pay on a weekly basis.
• have presented an arm’s length salary expense of at least $50,000 as part of your financial statements for the last available year, or plan to accumulate this amount by the end of the current fiscal year.
• have complied with the laws and regulations in force with respect to the applicable health rules adopted by Québec and Canadian public authorities in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic.
   

• Workspace adjustment expenses:
  • Modification of processes and treatment stations to allow for physical distancing;
  • Equipment such as safety barriers (Plexiglas partitions);
  • Wash stations;
  • Systems for taking body temperature or detecting fever (including thermal analyzers);
  • Disinfection and cleaning in the event of an outbreak on the farm; and
  • Facility or site modification to meet COVID-19 requirements.
• Farm housing improvement fees:
  • Modifications or upgrades to heating, ventilation, and air-conditioning systems;
  • Purchase or lease of additional on-farm housing; and
  • Portable buildings.
• Off-farm housing expenses:
  • Off-farm housing expenses in the event of an outbreak or as a preventive measure.
• Transportation expenses:
  • Adjustments in transportation to ensure physical distancing when moving around the farm or between housing and the farm.
• Cost of disposable and non-disposable personal protective equipment (maximum of $10,000):
  • Sanitation, disinfection, and cleaning products;
  • Protective eyewear and visors;
  • Masks and face covers, including N95 masks;
  • Particle filters and gas/vapour cartridges;
  • Safety glasses;
  • Disposable gloves; and
  • Breathing masks that cover half or the entire face.
• Training and interpretation expenses:
  • Interpretation services and training on COVID-19 protocols.

The following expenses, among others, are not eligible:

• Ongoing operational expenses not related to COVID-19;
• Labour and meal expenses;
• Expenses related to retail or other on-site sales activities;
• Expenses for personal protective equipment that was required prior to COVID-19;
• Expenses related to the Quarantine Act for the isolation of temporary foreign workers; and
• Usual capital and machinery expenses, purchase of land and applicable taxes (GST and QST).