New dues system

Since 1990, assessments charged to producers have been dictated by the legal structure of each farm business (sole proprietorship, partnership, trust, legal person, etc.). The parameters that determine the assessment amount are outdated and no longer reflect the reality of farming today.

Over the past few years, producers have on multiple occasions asked the UPA for the following:

• Assessments based on businesses' gross farm income instead of their legal status
• More equitable financing through a new mechanism to allow for an assessment increase for producers not covered by joint plans

In response to these requests, numerous advance consultations were held. The purpose of these was to see how willing producers were to change the system. November 2023 saw the passing of Bill 28, which amends the Farm Producers Act. As a result, the UPA is now allowed to set new parameters for determining assessment amounts.

Following a rigorous consultation process with members, a resolution of intent was passed at the General Congress in December 2025, that lays the groundwork for a new and more equitable dues system.

Increasing UPA's revenues is not the goal of the new dues system. The system is designed to address financing needs that have already been identified. Under the new proposed system, the amount paid by each farm business will change in order to ensure greater equity.

A portion of UPA financing comes from a variable contribution based on the production volume. Under the current dues system, productions outside of a joint plan do not pay that contribution to the UPA.

The supplementary assessment aims to ensure greater equity among farms, taking into account whether or not they contribute to the UPA through a joint plan. This financing method is comparable to the contributions required for productions under a joint plan, which already provide 35% of the Union's funding. 

To find out more about the dues system This link will open in a new window

Yes. The Règlement sur les contributions des fédérations et des syndicats spécialisés à l’Union des producteurs agricoles (Regulation respecting the contributions of specialized federations and syndicates of the Union des producteurs agricoles) continues to apply. The regulation already allows for a certain amount of equity between producers, since contributions paid to the UPA by the specialized federations and syndicates that administer the joint plans already account for the volume of agricultural products marketed. 

Yes. All farm producers in Quebec are required to complete an annual declaration in 2026 so that the UPA can determine the assessment amount they need to pay the following year.

You can complete your assessment tier declaration online via a secure website, or by paper through the mail. You can also contact our dues service for support and to fill out the form with us by  phone. 

Access the declaration website This link will open in a new window

There are other ways to file your declaration:

• By phone: Call the Contributions Department at 1-855-534-7120
• By mail: Download the form  (171 KB) , fill it out, and send it to the address provided.

The annual declaration is mandatory for all agricultural producers in Quebec. If no declaration is filed, reminders will be sent. If a declaration is still not submitted after these reminders, the UPA will assign a default income tier to the producer, based on the information we have on file. The assessment amount for the highest income tier could be assigned.

You will need an official document showing your business's gross farm income for the fiscal year ending in 2025. 

• General partnerships (SENC), joint producers (co-ownerships): statement of operations of a farm business (Federal Income Tax Return Form T2042) 
• Companies, cooperatives, limited partnerships, and trusts: financial statements

It will be important to use the same type of document for subsequent years' declaration. If a supplementary assessment, to help you determine the amount to be used in the calculation, please download the calculator  (38 KB) .

Rigourous consultations were conducted with producers to take into account all requests and individual circumstances. Several scenarios were considered. The one chosen, following the 2025 consultations, addresses the majority of requests for the most equitable dues system for everyone.

Yes, they are subject to a supplementary assessment. Productions with a CCD do not pay contributions to the UPA through their specialized federation. They are therefore considered eligible for a supplementary assessment, based on the percentage of their gross farm income from products that are not covered by any joint plan.

Assessment

The assessment is an amount of money that all producers pay to the UPA each year. Depending on their structure, certain farm businesses pay a double assessment. This is the case when multiple producers are grouped together within the same partnership[SI1] , for instance.

Contribution

The specialized federations and groups that administer joint marketing plans collect a certain amount of money each year from producers within their dedicated production type. This amount is based on each producer’s volume. A portion of this money is used to finance the joint plan itself; it varies based on the collective services delivered under each plan. The remaining portion of the money collected is the contribution paid directly to the UPA by the specialized federations and groups. In sectors not covered by joint plans, producers do not pay any contributions.

Since 1956, the Act respecting the marketing of agricultural, food and fish products has allowed producers to join forces and collectively organize the conditions for producing and marketing their products. This practice is known as collective marketing.

A joint plan is one of the forms collective marketing can take. It allows producers within the same sector to share costs and give themselves the tools they need to carry out their activities collectively. They may, for example, define quality standards, ensure optimal conditions for production, run shared research and innovation programs, launch promotion campaigns for their products, and/or provide buyers with a guaranteed supply.