Farm Debt Mediation Service: Information for creditors

Information for creditors

The Farm Debt Mediation Service (FDMS) is a free, voluntary and confidential service delivered by Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada. The FDMS provides an impartial mediation process for farmers and creditors to discuss financial challenges and explore solutions through financial counselling and mediation.

You must inform farmers about the FDMS before you take legal action to recover debts. It’s required by law. Learn more about the Farm Debt Mediation Act (FDMA).

What you must do to recover a debt as a secured creditor

Before you take any legal action to recover a debt, you must serve the farmer with a Notice of Intent.

The notice:

tells the farmer of their right to apply for mediation under the FDMS
says that you, the secured creditor, must wait 15 business days after the notice has been deemed served before beginning action to realize on security
- Refer to the FDMS Regulations (Notice by Secured Creditors) to learn how a notice must be served
must also be sent (electronically or mailed) to the FDMS Administrator

Complete the Notice of Intent by Secured Creditor form

The latest version of the form and the instructions to download and save the form are available. Always use the latest version of the form. The latest version is 2026/01.

Notice of Intent by Secured Creditor form (PDF) (Version 2026/01)

Farmers may apply to the FDMS at any time, even outside the 15-business day period.

How you benefit as a participant

Your participation is voluntary (you’re not required to take part in mediation).

When you participate as a secured creditor, you can:

gain a clear understanding of the farmer’s financial situation
review the recovery plan and explore realistic options
resolve issues efficiently and reduce misunderstandings or delays
maintain structured and open communication with the farmer

We do not:

require you to agree to any proposal
limit your rights as a creditor beyond the stay period
provide legal advice
enforce agreements reached through mediation

How the FDMS works

We:

assign a financial consultant to the farmer to help prepare a recovery plan
assign a neutral mediator to the farmer for a mediation process to:
- encourage discussions
- support constructive communication
- guide you and the farmer toward potential next steps
arrange virtual or in-person confidential meetings
may arrange a stay of proceedings to be put in place so the mediation process can go ahead

How the financial consultant works with you

The financial consultant will contact you to:

outline the mediation process
get your perspective about the outstanding debt
invite you to participate in mediation

Your participation helps make sure that discussions are informed, constructive, and focused on practical outcomes. You may:

discuss your understanding of the account, including concerns, priorities, and constraints related to the debt
review relevant financial information and the farmer’s proposed recovery plan
attend a mediation meeting (virtually or in person)
participate in facilitated good faith discussions
consider reasonable repayment, restructuring, or other options, where appropriate

How the mediator works with you

Mediators do not make decisions or impose outcomes. Any agreement reached between you and the farmer is voluntary and developed by you both.

The mediator can help:

resolve issues more efficiently
reduce misunderstandings
support structured, respectful communication

What a stay of proceedings means to you

When a farmer applies to the FDMS, a stay of proceedings may be issued and you must temporarily pause recovery or enforcement actions to allow mediation. The stay is time-limited and does not cancel the debt.

At the same time a stay is issued, a guardian of the farmer’s assets is appointed. The guardian is responsible for overseeing the farmer’s assets and making sure they are managed in accordance with guardian directives issued under the Farm Debt Mediation Act (FDMA).

Guardian directives require that the farmer (or appointed guardian):

protect the assets and not sell, dispose of, or transfer secured property without prior written approval from the secured creditor(s)
avoid incurring additional debt that could jeopardize reaching an arrangement
manage essential expenses responsibly during the stay

Note: Compliance with these directives supports the continuation of the stay. A stay may be terminated if directives are contravened or the assets are jeopardized.

Share the FDMS farmers’ fact sheet

Print and share the farmers’ fact sheet (PDF) to let farmers know that help is available if they have financial difficulties.

Keep the FDMS creditors’ fact sheet handy

The creditors’ fact sheet (PDF) is your reminder of the support available to farmers and your legal obligations under FDMA, including the requirement to issue a Notice of Intent before you take action to recover farm debts.

PDF forms

If you have trouble opening a PDF form, try the following:

Use your computer. The form may not open on mobile devices like phones or tablets.
Save the PDF to your computer in a place where you can easily find it
Use Adobe Reader (Version 11 or higher) to open the file. If it's not already installed, download Adobe Reader 11 or higher for free. Adobe has help for solving common issues

If you can't open the form with Adobe Reader 11 or higher, contact the program.

How to download and open a PDF form

Download the file

Right-click on the link you want to save
Select "Save link as" or "Download linked file"
Choose the location on your computer where you would like to save the file
Select "Save"

Open the PDF form

Open Adobe Reader 11 or higher
Select "File"
Select "Open"
Go to the location where you saved the file
Select the PDF file
Select "Open"

Go to the PDF