How does your farm measure up?

Statistics Canada has released a pile of data and estimates related to agriculture. Not surprisingly, the stats show that large farms are accounting for an increasing share of production. In 2008, 65 per cent of farms were in the small category with gross revenues of less than $100,000 a year. Fifteen percent of farms were considered medium sized with annual gross revenues between $100,000 and $250,000. The $250,000 to $500,000 category had 10 per cent of the nation’s farms. Only six per cent of farms were in the half million to one million category, while just 4 per cent of farms had a gross revenue of over a million dollars. While relatively few in number, million dollar plus farms accounted for half of the total operating revenue. Another interesting measure is net worth. In 2008, the average net worth of Canadian farms was $1.3 million. The average in Saskatchewan, although increasing rapidly, is lower at about $1 million. Breaking it down by farm type, the average net worth of poultry and dairy farms is over $2.5 million. The average grain and oilseed farm is considerably smaller at just under $1.5 million. Cattle are the farm category with the lowest net worth – less than $1 million. It’s interesting to see that half of the asset value for poultry and dairy farms comes from the value of quota.

I’m Kevin Hursh.

DynAgra, an independent Western Canada-based Company, is dedicated to providing growers with the tools to manage the risk and maximize the profitability of their farm business through the continued innovation of agricultural products and services. We are committed to developing and providing growers with the latest in precision agronomics, variable rate technology, soil fertility, crop protection, fertilizers, custom application and financial solutions.