From Susan Munroe,
Your Guide to Canada Online.
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Canadian Farms - Operations

While the number of farms operating in Canada continues to decline, they are producing more, according to statistics from the 2001 Canadian Census of Agriculture. The number of farms in Canada has gone down 10 percent since the 1996 census, but Canadian farms have 4.2 percent more acres in crops and are raising more livestock. Statistics Canada counted 246,923 farms in the May 2001 census.

The number of Canadian farms reached its peak in 1941, and has been declining ever since, and this is the largest drop since 1971.

The Census of Agriculture statistics show that three out of ten farms had left the Canadian agriculture sector since 1996, but another 50,000 new farms started in Canada since the last census. It comes as no surprise that farms with lower receipts left in higher numbers.

Canadian Farms - Production

While Canadian farmers are devoting more land to crops, it's not because they have found more land. Farmers are converting unproductive land to cropland. The top five field crops by area are:

• spring wheat (excluding durham)
• barley
• alfalfa and alfalfa mixtures
• canola
• other tame hay and fodder crops

Wheat still leads, but many wheat farmers in Canada have moved to other crops or commodities. The phasing out of the Western Canada Grain Transportation Act which helped Canadian farmers with transportation costs, falling wheat prices and rising livestock prices were major pressures leading prairie farmers to change direction.

Canadian Agriculture Export Markets

The 2001 Census of Agriculture statistics show increased export markets for many products, including live pigs and cattle, pork, beef, oilseeds, pulse crops (dry field peas, beans and lentils for example), wines, forage seeds and hay.