TORONTO — Crop farming represented the biggest source of gross revenue in southwestern Ontario farm country in 2020.
That’s based on OMAFRA latest farm-cash receipts calculations (using 2020 figures) adopted from Stats Canada across the region’s 21 counties. While dairy production represented the largest single sector with farm revenues of $1.606 billion in southwestern Ontario, soybeans ($1.513 billion) and corn ($1.097 billion) in combination were well above that mark.
Tops overall in the region was Essex County whose 1,553 farms took in a combined $1.403 billion — theoretically just over $900,000 each — with the greenhouse vegetable producers accounting for nearly $873 million of that county’s total.
The 388 farmers of Peel Regional Municipality averaged the lowest gross revenue, at $216,444 each, and a total of $83.98 million.
“Farming the mailbox” — aka government support programs — also drove substantial enough dollars to rank within the top 10 revenue sources in 14 of the counties. Just under $430 million was distributed in this category, representing just over 3% of all cash receipts across the southwestern region.
Southern and Western Ontario counties listed by their top 10 commodities
