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Key takeaways from 2016 Census of Agriculture
Last year (2016) marks the 22nd Census of Agriculture since Confederation. Here are some key takeaways from Statistics Canada.
Since 2011, there are fewer farms, but the farms are larger. While total farm area is down, areas dedicated to cropland rose to 93.4 million acres in 2016. The average sits at 820 acres in 2016.
Canola remains the biggest crop; accounts for more than one-fifth of cropland
One-third of Canadian agricultural production was exported in 2013.
Number of farm operators has declined, while average age continued to rise.
Despite the increase in average age, only 1 in 12 operators reported having a formal succession plan.
Proportion of operators under 35 years of age edged up for the first time since 1991.
Ag operations in Canada employed 280,315 people in 2015.
77,970 women are listed as farm operators, accounting for 28.7 per cent of the industry.
One in eight farms sold food directly to consumers.
Total value of farm machinery and equipment owned and leased by agricultural operations increased 15.4 per cent to $53.9 billion.
Ontario has the highest percentage of farms using renewable energy at 10.4 per cent
Farm profits unchanged since 2010.
You can read the full report here.
May 10, 2017 By Top Crop Manager
