OTTAWA— Fuelled largely by rising crop and livestock prices, Canadian farm cash receipts jumped 13.7 % to almost $82 billion in 2021. That’s an increase of nearly $9.9 billion over the previous year, according to the latest report from Stats Canada.
Ontario farmers accounted for nearly $1.24 billion of this growth, equivalent to a 7.4 % revenue rise within the province, reaching nearly $18 billion last year. Ontario crop receipts hit almost $10 billion while livestock and livestock products generated just over $7.5 billion.
Nationally, farmers received $3.9 billion more (9.2 %) for their crops from a year earlier, hitting $46.1 billion in 2021. Cash receipts from livestock grew $3.5 billion (13 %) and reached $29.9 billion last year.
Alberta saw the largest increase in farm cash receipts (20.8 %) while Prince Edward Island was lowest with a slight decline (-0.7%). Direct payments to farmers went up by nearly 72 % — but concentrated in the western provinces because of the major drought experienced there in 2021.