Alberta has the highest farm operating revenues in Canada with the province reporting $22.2 billion in farm operating revenues for 2020, an Oct. 20 news release from Statistics Canada said. This was more than any other province and accounted for over a quarter of Canada’s $87.0 billion total farm revenues.
The release noted farms with at least $2 million in revenues reported over half of the province’s farm operating revenues. In 2020, farms in this category made up four per cent of farms in the province, yet their farm revenues accounted for 61.7 per cent of total farm revenues in Alberta. By comparison, farms with at least $2 million in revenues accounted for 4.1 per cent of farms in 2021 and 51.5 per cent of farm operating revenues in Canada in 2020.
The largest operating revenues were from oilseed and grain farms in the province. In 2020, oilseed and grain farms reported $9.0 billion in revenues, which made up 40.4 per cent of the province’s total farm revenues, the release said. This was followed by farms classified as beef and feedlots, which accounted for 38.8 per cent of Alberta’s farm operating revenues.
While grain farms had the largest operating revenues, beef farms in Alberta had the most expenses, the release noted. In 2020, expenses from beef farms totalled over $8.1 billion, making up 42.8 per cent of the province’s total farm expenses. This was followed by oilseed and grain farms, which made up 36.8 per cent of Alberta’s farm expenses.
Unsurprisingly, Alberta also reported having the highest farm operating expenses for 2020 at $19.0 billion, making up 26.3 per cent of Canada’s total farm expenses.
Other interesting statistics about Alberta include:
- Alberta was one of two provinces in Canada to report an increase in the number of farms, at 2.1 per cent increase from 2016
- In 2021, farms in Alberta had the second highest total farm area behind Saskatchewan, making up 32 per cent of Canada’s total
- Farms in Alberta reported more beef cows than any other provinces, accounting for 44.1 per cent of Canada’s total beef cows
- Alberta has the second highest rate of farms with succession plans at 14 per cent
- Alberta reported the second highest percentage of female farm operators among provinces, with 32.4 per cent of farm operators in the province being women
- Alberta’s rate of farm operators working off the farm is above the national average with 49 per cent of farm operators reporting they work another non-farm job
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