Tile drainage loans available

By Gary Sliworsky
OMAFRA Rep.

The Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs (OMAFRA) recently announced the details of the 2008/09 Tile Loan Program. If you plan to install a tile drainage system on agricultural land you own in Ontario, you are eligible for a tile loan under this program.
For the installation of tile drainage systems on agricultural land, a property owner can receive a loan for 75 per cent of the cost of his/her tile drainage work, up to a maximum of $50,000 per owner per year. The term of the loan is 10 years and the interest rate is six per cent, fixed for the full term of the loan.
To complete the application form:
Pick up the tile loan application form from your municipal office
Complete the form and submit it to your local municipal office.
Once municipal council approves the application:
Arrange to have the tile drainage work completed by a licensed tile drainage contractor.
Before the contractor begins work, call your municipality to arrange for an inspection of the work to be done. The municipality may charge a fee for this inspection.
Once a month, the municipality prepares loan documents to send to OMAFRA for all the loans applied for that month. After processing these documents, OMAFRA issues a cheque to the municipality who distributes the loan funds to each individual applicant.
The municipality is responsible for collecting the loan repayments from the property owner and sending these payments to the government. The repayment is collected either with the municipal tax bills or as a special tax bill on the anniversary date of the loan. Check with your local municipality to find out the collection method used. A tile loan can be repaid in full at any time. Contact your municipality to find out the amount still owing at the time of your proposed loan payout date.
To learn more about the program, visit our website at: www.omafra.gov.on.ca/english/engineer/facts/07-061.htm or contact your local municipality.
Dates to Remember
July 22 – Emo Research Station Open House, 7:00 p.m. Crop tour, refreshments
July 23 – RR Soil & Crop Tour. Begins 10:00 a.m. at Bernie Zimmerman’s. Featuring Jack Kyle, OMAFRA Pasture Specialist