THURSDAY, MAY 18, 2017
VOL. 95 | NO. 20 | $4.25
FUNGICIDE REGISTRATION COSTLY | P3
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CANADIAN CENSUS OF AGRICULTURE
CENSUS OF AGRICULTURE
Census offers glimpse into modern agriculture
Every five years, Statistics Canada releases a census of agriculture. The report gives a snapshot of who is farming, what they’re growing and how they’re doing. Here are some of the figures from the latest census.
WHEAT
THE TOTAL NUMBER OF FARMS DECLINED FROM 2011 TO 2016 BY
BY SEAN PRATT & BRIAN CROSS SASKATOON NEWSROOM
IS STILL THE MAJOR CROP GROWN IN CANADA, WITH
5.9%
Prairie farmers are getting older — and younger. More than half are 55 and older, according to the 2016 Census of Agriculture. The 55.5 percent in that category is up nearly seven percentage points from the 2011 census. Bill Brown, head of the agricultural and resource economics department at the University of Saskatchewan, thinks the aging population has something to do with the love of the job. “One of the main things is farmers don’t like to retire and will continue to farm as long as they physically can,” he said. Erik Dorff, an analyst with Statistics Canada, believes it is simply a reflection of dynamics in the general population. “The baby boomer cohort is aging, and that’s reflected in the farm community as well,” he said.
23.44
BUT THE NUMBER OF FARMS WITH 3,520 ACRES OR MORE GREW BY
MILLION ACRES PLANTED IN 2016
8%
CANOLA 20.61 IS THE SECOND LARGEST CROP AT
IN 2016, CANADIAN FARMERS RAISED
MILLION ACRES.
12.53 million CATTLE
14.09 million HOGS
SEE CENSUS, PAGE 4
Related stories Agriculture making smaller economic contributions | P. 5
145.52
million CHICKENS
THERE WERE 271,935 FARMERS IN CANADA IN 2016, A DECLINE OF
7.5%
Source: Statistics Canada 2016 Census of Agriculture | MICHELLE HOULDEN GRAPHICS
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F O R
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C H A N C E
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Cropland acreage increases significantly | P. 5 OPINION: Government policy must respond to results | P. 10
AND THE AVERAGE CANADIAN FARMER AGE INCREASED TO
54
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u|xhHEEJBy00001pzYv#:! MAY 18, 2017 Return undeliverable Canadian addresses to: Box 2500, Stn. Main, Saskatoon, SK. S7K 2C4 The Western Producer is published in Saskatoon by Western Producer Publications, which is owned by GVIC Communications Corp. Publisher: Shaun Jessome Publications Mail Agreement No. 40069240
SERVING WESTERN CANADIAN FARM FAMILIES SINCE 1923