The total equity of the Canadian farm sector rose nearly eight per cent in 2023 while farm assets rose more than seven per cent according to Statistics Canada’s 2023 balance sheet.
Farm equity, asset values up in 2023: StatCan
Farms' ability to pay debts declined but balance sheet remains strong
Do farmers feel wealthy?
Strong balance sheets are being offset by rising costs, tempering producer optimism
Reading Time: 5 minutes Glacier FarmMedia – At the end of 2017, Canadian farm debt topped $100 billion. At the time, it was a bigger number than the national debt of 135 countries, noted Country Guide columnist Gerald Pilger. The climb hasn’t stopped. The figure rose steadily since crossing the $100-billion threshold. As of 2022, the most recent year […] Read more
Farmland value growth slowed in 2023, FCC says
Saskatchewan, Quebec and Manitoba saw strongest growth in 2023, report shows
Farmland is still getting more expensive, but not quite as quickly as in recent years, according to the latest farmland value report from Canada’s biggest agricultural lender.
NFU takes demand for ban on investor ownership to Parliament Hill
Organization's youth caucus concerned amid ‘transition crisis’
Members of the National Farmers Union (NFU) gathered on Parliament Hill Wednesday to demand a ban on investor ownership of farmland. The demonstration was organized by the NFU Youth Caucus and Farm Workers’ Working Group. The goal was to demand protection of food sovereignty and help farmers, especially young ones, gain more access to farmland. […] Read more
U.S. Lawmakers seek to limit corporate, foreign ownership of farmland
Farm groups, lawmakers are concerned that foreign, investor ownership is driving up prices and threatening national security
Washington | Reuters – U.S. lawmakers from both parties are pushing legislation that would limit who can own American farmland, with a latest effort from Democratic Senator Cory Booker aimed at curbing corporate ownership. Farm groups and lawmakers are concerned that land buys by investors and foreign countries are driving up farmland prices and threatening […] Read more
Pressure increases on farmland
CAPI report highlights what’s needed to save farmland while increasing production and protecting the environment
Reading Time: 3 minutes Ensuring Canada remains an agricultural powerhouse requires concerted efforts to preserve the country’s natural capital and resources, particularly farmland, according to a recent Canadian Agri-Food Policy Institute (CAPI) report. With long-term planning, the pressures affecting agricultural productivity and farmland loss in Canada can be navigated, bringing greater prosperity and environmental improvement at home, as well […] Read more
Buy or rent? Land rent-to-price ratio can help farmers decide
FCC sees current ratios on farmland as (roughly) stable
Higher interest rates don’t seem to be affecting the ratio between land values and land rental costs — at least, not yet. Farm Credit Canada’s latest analysis of farmland rental prices says they’re roughly maintaining their traditional linkage, says J.P Gervais, the organization’s chief economist. “We were curious to see whether that would bring up […] Read more
Alberta farmland values up 10 per cent on average
Alberta's increase comes in below a national average that exceeded expectations
Reading Time: 4 minutes Average Alberta farmland values rose 10 per cent in 2022, according to Farm Credit Canada statistics released March 13. That’s less than the 12.8 per cent average for the rest of the country, but it’s the largest increase the province has seen since 2015, when prices rose 11.6 per cent. Last year’s figure follows increases […] Read more
Farmland values exceed expectations
Ontario leads the country with 19.4 per cent increase
Average farmland prices were up 12.8 per cent in Canada in 2022, the largest increase seen since 2014 when the increase was 14.3 per cent. The increase follows gains of 8.3 per cent in 2021 and 5.4 per cent in 2020. J.P. Gervais, FCC’s chief economist, said the numbers were a little bit of a […] Read more
Farmland prices remain buoyant in the face of interest rate hikes
Despite significant interest rate hikes, Farm Credit Canada (FCC) is reporting continued increases in farmland values across Canada. According to the FCC report, Manitoba’s average farmland values increased by 6 per cent in the first six months of 2022. Alberta values were just behind that at 5.9 per cent and Saskatchewan was just above the […] Read more
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