Ontario lags in farm income Sunday, May 24, 2009 by BETTER FARMING STAFFDespite huge leaps in their operating expenses last year, Ontario’s farmers took home a tidy profit, according to figures released today from Statistics Canada.But with the country’s highest building depreciation expenses (the amount of money farmers must set aside to replace older buildings at current market prices) and third-highest machinery depreciation expenses for 2008, that extra cash may be needed for on-farm improvements.And so far this year, farm cash receipts for Ontario farmers don’t appear to be as lucrative as they are elsewhere in Canada: while nationally, receipts were up 7.5 per cent in the first quarter of 2009 compared to the same time last year, Ontario’s dropped 1.1 per cent.StatsCan attributes a 14.1 per cent increase in 2008 market receipts for Canadian farmers to strong prices for grains and oilseeds. The prices peaked in mid-2008 and have since fallen off. In the livestock sector there were increases in market receipts for cattle (2.4 per cent) and supply-managed commodities (5.7 per cent). Hog revenues dropped 2.9 per cent. In total, Canada’s farmers brought home $41.8 billion in market receipts.Total net income for Ontario’s farmers jumped to $262 million in 2008 from -$220 million in 2007; federally, it jumped to $6.1 billion from $1 billion in the same time period.Stephen Boyd, head of the agriculture division farm expenses unit at Statistics Canada, says Ontario had the highest operating expense level compared to other provinces in both 2007 and 2008 as well as the highest revenues. “This is because Ont. is the province with the largest number of farms,” he writes in an email. In 2006, Ontario had 57,211 farms; Alberta had the next highest number at 49,431. BF Wheat dust-up isolates director 'Aggregate trumps a lot of things'
Canada Opens Interprovincial Alcohol Sales Thursday, July 23, 2026 A major change to Canada's internal marketplace is set to create new opportunities for wineries, breweries and distilleries after nine provinces signed a landmark agreement allowing direct-to-consumer sales of alcoholic beverages across participating jurisdictions. The deal is being hailed... Read this article online
Heat and Rain have led to a challenging growing season for Cauliflower Growers in Ontario. Thursday, July 23, 2026 There are only 1,225 acres dedicated to growing cauliflower in Ontario, but they produce 14,545,000 lbs of the vegetable. Growers across key vegetable-producing regions are preparing for increased shipments of locally grown cauliflower to grocery stores, restaurants, wholesalers and... Read this article online
Who Knew so Much Canadian Watermelon is Grown in Ontario Thursday, July 23, 2026 Many consumers may think of watermelon as an exotic fruit, but Ontario grows about2,000 acresof watermelons each year, more than 35,084tonnesof watermelon.Watermelonharvest now is underway. Watermelon originated in northeastern Africa, particularly in the region that today includes Sudan... Read this article online
Pilot project supports Ontario and Quebec ag Wednesday, July 22, 2026 A new two-year pilot project is designed to help livestock farmers in Quebec by giving them access to an Ontario abattoir. The project, a collaboration between the Quebec and Ontario governments, with additional support from the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA), would see a limited... Read this article online
Ontario Farmers Harvest One of Canada’s Top Carrot Crops Wednesday, July 22, 2026 Carrots are among Ontario's most important vegetable crops, contributing significantly to local food production and year-round fresh produce availability. Ontario grows the most carrots of any Canadian province – 45% of the country’s carrots. According to Statistics Canada, Ontario... Read this article online