By March 1, all Ontario farm businesses that grossed $7,000 or more in farming income last year must pay their Farm Business Registration (FBR) fee.
With an FBR number, producers can obtain a membership in one of three accredited farm organizations (AFOs) and may qualify for a property tax reduction and be eligible for other government programs.
Choosing an AFO
Each year, producers can direct their FBR fee to one of three AFOs and apply for membership in that organization.
They can keep the same AFO or change it from year to year. Producers who want to choose a different AFO from the previous year can find more information on their invoice or in the Farm Business Registration Program section of agricorp.com.
An easy way to pay the FBR fee
To save time, avoid mailing and prevent any additional processing delays, producers can pay their fee through their financial institution (online, by phone or in person) instead of by mail.
When paying their fee through their financial institution, producers should be sure to direct their payment to the right Agricorp bank account. Agricorp has different accounts for different programs and AFOs. It's important to pay to the right account to avoid processing delays.
Each time you make a payment, check your payee for these three things:
- Agricorp‘s name
- The name of the AFO you‘d like to direct your fee to
- The Farm Business Registration (FBR) program name
About FBR
All producers with farm businesses in Ontario that gross $7,000 or more annually are required by law to register their farm business with Agricorp by March 1, 2017.
