Ducks Unlimited Canada and PepsiCo join forces on program for unproductive cropland

Ducks Unlimited Canada (DUC) and PepsiCo have joined forces in a partnership aimed at enhancing sustainability within the agricultural sector.

The collaboration focuses on providing additional incentives to producers enrolled in Farm Credit Canada’s (FCC) Sustainability Incentive Program, specifically those growing oats or canola within their crop rotation.

Producers based in Alberta, Saskatchewan, and Manitoba who commit to planting perennial forage on unproductive cropland will benefit from this announcement.

PepsiCo will provide financial assistance equal to 50 per cent of the total payment producers receive through FCC’s program, to a maximum of $1,000 per application.

Paul Thoroughgood, National Manager of Sustainability at DUC, emphasizes the impact of this collaboration.

“The uptake from our producer partners who have already taken advantage of our partnership with FCC has been incredible. Now, with PepsiCo at the table, we can support even more farmers across the Prairies, recognizing them for the positive impacts they have on the landscape by providing even more incentives.”

DUC’s Marginal Areas Program offers a solution for Canadian farmland facing productivity challenges due to poor drainage, soil conditions, periodic flooding, inaccessibility, or salinity. Historically, DUC has provided participating producers with a 10-year agreement to assist with the cost of establishing perennials, alleviating financial burdens associated with land management challenges.

Additionally, FCC participants who also engage in DUC’s Marginal Areas Program become eligible for an incentive payment based on a percentage of their total borrowings, up to a maximum payment of $2,000 or $50 per enrolled acre.