In January 2027 the Quebec government announced that it had lifted the moratorium that had prohibited the expansion of agricultural land across the province. The decision ends a freeze that had barred any new farmland development since the moratorium was first imposed.
The province had previously placed a freeze on new farmland development, a policy that prevented the creation of additional agricultural plots and halted projects that sought to convert land for farming purposes. By removing the restriction, officials have cleared the way for landowners, farmers and developers to pursue new agricultural initiatives that were previously barred under the moratorium.
The removal of the ban restores the ability to expand agricultural acreage, allowing the sector to respond to demand for increased production and to explore new farming opportunities. With the moratorium no longer in effect, Quebec’s agricultural landscape can again accommodate growth, subject to existing land‑use regulations and planning processes. The change marks a shift in provincial policy toward a more permissive stance on farmland development, reversing the earlier freeze on new agricultural land.