Farm cash receipts, January to September 2015
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Released: 2015-11-25
$42.6 billion
January to September 2015
1.6% 
(year-over-year change)
Farm cash receipts for Canadian farmers totalled $42.6 billion in the first three quarters of 2015, up 1.6% from the same period in 2014. This was the fifth consecutive year-over-year increase in receipts for the January-to-September period. Gains in the first quarter (+4.3%) and third quarter (+3.5%) more than offset a 3.1% decline in receipts during the second quarter.
Farm cash receipts, which include crop and livestock revenues as well as program payments, increased in Saskatchewan (+6.4%), Alberta (+6.3%), Nova Scotia (+5.0%), Newfoundland and Labrador (+3.4%), British Columbia (+1.7%) and Prince Edward Island (+1.5%). Over the same period, receipts were down in Quebec (-6.1%), Manitoba (-3.0%), New Brunswick (-1.6%) and Ontario (-0.9%).
Livestock receipts
Livestock receipts rose by $392 million (+2.1%) to $18.9 billion, the sixth consecutive year-over-year gain for the January-to-September period.
Cattle and calf receipts were the main contributor to the increase in livestock receipts, rising $1.0 billion (+15.9%) to $7.6 billion. Cattle and calf receipts for the first three quarters of 2015 were 50.3% higher than the previous five-year average for the period, and accounted for over 40% of the total livestock receipts for the first time since 2002. A $746 million (-19.2%) decline in hog receipts moderated the overall rise in livestock receipts.
The increase in cattle and calf receipts was attributable to a 32.2% rise in average prices compared with the first three quarters of 2014. This more than offset a 12.4% decline in the number of animals marketed. Conversely, hog receipts declined as prices fell 22.3% from the same period in 2014. While tight supplies continued to be a factor for cattle and calf prices, North American hog inventories have increased, putting downward pressure on hog prices.
Crop receipts
Crop receipts increased 0.7% to $22.3 billion for the January-to-September period. Receipts for lentils, which are grown mainly in Saskatchewan, rose 58.4% ($354 million) on the strength of higher prices. A rise in canola receipts (+6.3%) also contributed to the increase in crop receipts as both marketings and prices were up from the same period in 2014.
Conversely, liquidations of deferred grain sales declined by $397 million, negatively affecting the January-to-September 2015 crop receipts. This decline was primarily a result of a 19.9% decrease in grain receipts deferred by producers in 2014. Lower corn receipts (-25.0%) also contributed to the decline, as marketings fell 27.6%. Canadian corn production in 2014 was 19.1% below that of the bumper crop harvested in 2013.
In general, changes to the levels of marketings and prices for the major grains and oilseeds were mixed. Marketings were generally down compared with the first three quarters of 2014 as a result of lower production levels. Crop prices were mainly up, despite ample crop supplies in North America. The depreciation of the Canadian dollar relative to the US currency has lent some support to prices received by Canadian producers.
Program payments
Program payments were up 9.6% from the first three quarters of 2014 to $1.5 billion, but were 28.8% below the previous five-year average for the same period. Higher crop insurance payments (+61.0%) were the main reason for the gain in 2015. Lower AgriStability, provincial stabilization and AgriInvest payments moderated the increase.
Note to readers
All data are in current dollars. Farm cash receipts measure the gross revenue of farm businesses. They include sales of crops and livestock products (except sales between farms in the same province) and program payments. Receipts are recorded when the money is paid to farmers; they do not represent their bottom line, as farmers have to pay their expenses and loans and cover depreciation.
Farm cash receipts are, for the most part, based on monthly marketings and the monthly prices of various commodities. Data are extracted from administrative files and derived from other Statistics Canada surveys and/or other sources. These data are subject to revision.
For details on farm income for 2014, see the "Farm income" release in today's Daily.
Farm cash receipts data for the fourth quarter of 2015 and the first quarter of 2016 will be released in May 2016.
Products
Summary tables are available from the Browse by key resource module of our website, under Summary tables.
Contact information
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