Farm net income gets a boost Sunday, May 25, 2008 by BETTER FARMING STAFF In 2007, farmers’ net income rose to $1.675 billion from $771 million in 2006, StatsCan reported Monday. The rebound came after two years of sharp declines in income related to the BSE crisis and persistently low grain prices. The gain was also realized in spite of dramatic income declines being reported in most eastern provinces and British Columbia. Quebec and the Prairie provinces were the two areas reporting gains. In Ontario, 2007 realized net income dropped to $93 million from $102 million in 2006. CLARIFICATION: Once the value of inventory changes is added into the equation, net income plummets to -$180 million in 2007 compared to -$34 million in 2006. The report attributes significantly higher grain and oilseed prices as the reason behind the income boost, noting that 2007 crop receipts jumped nearly 25 per cent compared to 2006 levels. Livestock levels boasted a more modest increase of just over two percent, led by revenue increases in the dairy and poultry sectors. Overall, the dairy, poultry and eggs supply-managed commodities jumped 8.5 per cent in revenue. It’s the largest increase for these commodities in more than 20 years the report said. Input costs have also increased 8.2 per cent in 2007 compared to the previous year, with the rise being attributed to soaring feed and fertilizer costs. These rose more than 20 per cent over one year, an increase of a magnitude that has not been seen since the late 1970s, the report said. In Canada, farm operating expenses were $34.2 billion, 14 per cent above the previous five-year average. In Ontario alone, costs rose to $8.1 billion from $7.7 billion in 2006, an increase of more than five per cent. Rising interest expenses, labour costs and machinery fuel expenses connected to hikes in gas and diesel fuels were other factors in the rise of operating expenses. For the second year in a row the value of inventories fell, and was reported to be $1.3 billion in 2007. The report attributed the drop to producers drawing on stocks to capitalize on stronger grain prices, drops in both yields and crop production in the Prairies; and a drop in livestock numbers related to a growing trend in shipping animals to the U.S. for finishing because of lower feed costs there. And while the total value of agricultural production grew more than five per cent last year, at $9.2 billion in 2007, the industry’s net value remained nearly six per cent below its average for 2001 to 2006. BF Cash receipts up big time All bets off on delivery of farm worker hearing decision
Sowing Solutions--Guelph’s Agri-Food Research Gets Federal Spotlight Friday, October 3, 2025 The University of Guelph welcomed two prominent federal representatives for a day of engagement and discovery on Friday, October 3rd. Dominique O’Rourke, Member of Parliament for Guelph, hosted the Honourable Heath MacDonald, Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food, for a comprehensive tour... Read this article online
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Effective Strategies for Corn Soybean and Wheat Thursday, October 2, 2025 As reported on the OMAFRA website fieldcropnews.com, effective crop residue management in corn, soybean, and wheat fields is key to profitability and long-term soil health. It begins at harvest, with combines and headers set correctly to size and spread residue evenly across the... Read this article online
New Ontario agrobotics challenge seeking high school submissions Thursday, October 2, 2025 A new competition for Ontario high school students is looking for innovative ways to solve challenges in the ag sector. The AgRobotics Ontario Challenge launched at the end of September. The competition is a collaboration between the Western Fair District, the Ontario Council for... Read this article online