Released: 2017-05-17
Select geography
Canada
Newfoundland and Labrador
Prince Edward Island
Nova Scotia
New Brunswick
Quebec
Ontario
Manitoba
Saskatchewan
Alberta
British Columbia
Number of farm operators: Census of Agriculture — Canada
271,935
2016
-7 .5%
(period-to-period change)
Number of male operators: Census of Agriculture — Canada
193,965
2016
-9 .0%
(period-to-period change)
Number of female operators: Census of Agriculture — Canada
77,970
2016
-3 .3%
(period-to-period change)
Work on the farm (more than 40 hours): Census of Agriculture — Canada
102,070
2016
-1 3.5%
(period-to-period change)
Number of farm operators: Census of Agriculture — N.L.
500
2016
-2 4.8%
(period-to-period change)
Number of male operators: Census of Agriculture — N.L.
385
2016
-2 4.5%
(period-to-period change)
Number of female operators: Census of Agriculture — N.L.
115
2016
-2 5.8%
(period-to-period change)
Work on the farm (more than 40 hours): Census of Agriculture — N.L.
220
2016
-2 4.1%
(period-to-period change)
Number of farm operators: Census of Agriculture — P.E.I.
1,810
2016
-1 1.5%
(period-to-period change)
Number of male operators: Census of Agriculture — P.E.I.
1,480
2016
-1 2.9%
(period-to-period change)
Number of female operators: Census of Agriculture — P.E.I.
1,480
2016
-1 2.9%
(period-to-period change)
Work on the farm (more than 40 hours): Census of Agriculture — P.E.I.
855
2016
-1 1.9%
(period-to-period change)
Number of farm operators: Census of Agriculture — N.S.
4,630
2016
-1 1.4%
(period-to-period change)
Number of male operators: Census of Agriculture — N.S.
3,365
2016
-1 2.9%
(period-to-period change)
Number of female operators: Census of Agriculture — N.S.
1,265
2016
-6 .6%
(period-to-period change)
Work on the farm (more than 40 hours): Census of Agriculture — N.S.
1,385
2016
-1 5.8%
(period-to-period change)
Number of farm operators: Census of Agriculture — N.B.
3,005
2016
-1 3.4%
(period-to-period change)
Number of male operators: Census of Agriculture — N.B.
2,335
2016
-1 4.8%
(period-to-period change)
Number of female operators: Census of Agriculture — N.B.
665
2016
-8 .9%
(period-to-period change)
Work on the farm (more than 40 hours): Census of Agriculture — N.B.
1,110
2016
-1 4.3%
(period-to-period change)
Number of farm operators: Census of Agriculture — Que.
41,995
2016
-4 .4%
(period-to-period change)
Number of male operators: Census of Agriculture — Que.
31,050
2016
-4 .6%
(period-to-period change)
Number of female operators: Census of Agriculture — Que.
10,945
2016
-3 .6%
(period-to-period change)
Work on the farm (more than 40 hours): Census of Agriculture — Que.
18,650
2016
-1 3.3%
(period-to-period change)
Number of farm operators: Census of Agriculture — Ont.
70,470
2016
-5 .8%
(period-to-period change)
Number of male operators: Census of Agriculture — Ont.
49,565
2016
-7 .5%
(period-to-period change)
Number of female operators: Census of Agriculture — Ont.
20,905
2016
-1 .6%
(period-to-period change)
Work on the farm (more than 40 hours): Census of Agriculture — Ont.
24,005
2016
-1 3.2%
(period-to-period change)
Number of farm operators: Census of Agriculture — Man.
20,140
2016
-9 .7%
(period-to-period change)
Number of male operators: Census of Agriculture — Man.
15,355
2016
-9 .9%
(period-to-period change)
Number of female operators: Census of Agriculture — Man.
4,785
2016
-9 .2%
(period-to-period change)
Work on the farm (more than 40 hours): Census of Agriculture — Man.
8,955
2016
-1 3.9%
(period-to-period change)
Number of farm operators: Census of Agriculture — Sask.
45,350
2016
-8 .3%
(period-to-period change)
Number of male operators: Census of Agriculture — Sask.
34,070
2016
-1 0.7%
(period-to-period change)
Number of female operators: Census of Agriculture — Sask.
11,275
2016
-0 .4%
(period-to-period change)
Work on the farm (more than 40 hours): Census of Agriculture — Sask.
20,115
2016
-1 2.8%
(period-to-period change)
Number of farm operators: Census of Agriculture — Alta.
57,605
2016
-7 .2%
(period-to-period change)
Number of male operators: Census of Agriculture — Alta.
39,845
2016
-9 .6%
(period-to-period change)
Number of female operators: Census of Agriculture — Alta.
17,760
2016
-1 .2%
(period-to-period change)
Work on the farm (more than 40 hours): Census of Agriculture — Alta.
20,325
2016
-1 3.4%
(period-to-period change)
Number of farm operators: Census of Agriculture — B.C.
26,430
2016
-1 1.7%
(period-to-period change)
Number of male operators: Census of Agriculture — B.C.
16,515
2016
-1 3.1%
(period-to-period change)
Number of female operators: Census of Agriculture — B.C.
9,925
2016
-9 .1%
(period-to-period change)
Work on the farm (more than 40 hours): Census of Agriculture — B.C.
6,450
2016
-1 6.2%
(period-to-period change)
While the modern operator may still live on his or her agricultural operation, farming has evolved into an innovative career choice requiring knowledge of business management and technology, as well as the agricultural sciences.
Driven by competition and aided by technology, the number of Canadian agricultural operations is decreasing and the agricultural operations that remain are larger and more capital intensive.
The 2016 Census of Agriculture recorded 193,492 agricultural operations, down 5.9% from 2011, and 271,935 farm operators, a decline of 7.5%.
While there are fewer agricultural operations and farm operators, agricultural operations are getting larger and using more of Canada's available agricultural land to grow crops. The area of cropland increased by 6.9% from 2011 to 93.4 million acres in 2016.
The analytical document "A portrait of a 21st Century agricultural operation " is now available. This is the first article from an analytical series based on 2016 Census of Agriculture data.
Based on the data from the 2016 Census of Agriculture, the infographic "A Portrait of Canadian Farms " (Catalogue number 11-627-M ) gives a visual overview of farm and farm operator characteristics in Canada.
The national snapshot 2016 Census of Agriculture , as well as provincial highlights , are now available online.
Products
The article "A portrait of a 21st Century agricultural operation ," which is part of Farm and Farm Operator Data (Catalogue number 95-640-X ), is now available. For a complete list of our products, visit 2016 Census of Agriculture . You can also consult the CANSIM tables 004-0200 to 004-0246 .
Contact information For more information, or to enquire about the concepts, methods or data quality of this release, contact us (toll-free 1-800-263-1136 ; 514-283-8300 ; STATCAN.infostats-infostats.STATCAN@canada.ca ) or Media Relations (613-951-4636 ; STATCAN.mediahotline-ligneinfomedias.STATCAN@canada.ca ).