Farm cash receipts, first quarter 2021
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Released: 2021-05-26
$19.8 billion
January to March 2021
15.5% 
(year-over-year change)
Farm cash receipts for Canadian farmers totalled $19.8 billion in the first quarter, up $2.7 billion (+15.5%) from the same quarter in 2020. Crops (+23.4%), livestock (+4.5%) and program payment (+14.6%) receipts were all up from the same quarter a year earlier.
Chart 1
Total crop, livestock and direct payment receipts as a proportion of total farm cash receipts, January to March, Canada, 2011 to 2021
Eight provinces reported higher cash receipts, led by Saskatchewan (+$1.0 billion), Alberta (+$654.2 million) and Manitoba (+$444.3 million). Conversely, cash receipts were down in New Brunswick (-$39.4 million) and Nova Scotia (-$1.0 million).
Chart 2
Farm cash receipts by category, by province or region, January to March 2021
Crop receipts boosted by grains and oilseeds
Crop receipts totalled $11.7 billion in the first quarter, up $2.2 billion (+23.4%) from the same quarter in 2020. Increased global demand led to higher exports and prices for many grains and oilseeds, as well as to lower inventories. Year over year, crop receipts in the first quarter were moderated by lower prices for cannabis. Excluding cannabis, crop receipts would have risen 29.3%.
Canola receipts rose 45.1% to $3.1 billion on higher prices (+27.3%) and marketings (+13.9%). Although exports for canola were down slightly (-1.3%) from the same quarter last year, marketings were up, which meant that domestic crushings for canola also increased.
Receipts for wheat excluding durum rose 32.4% to $1.7 billion on higher prices (+14.5%) and marketings (+15.6%). Wheat exports were up 36.2%. China, the largest buyer of Canadian wheat, had an increased need for feed grains, as its hog herd expands after being decimated by outbreaks of African swine fever.
Durum receipts increased 85.3% to $568.5 million, with prices (+21.9%) and marketings (+52.0%) both up. Durum exports continued to show strength in the first quarter. Algeria (27.7%), Morocco (16.1%) and Italy (15.6%) were the top three export destinations.
Receipts for specialty crops rose $45.2 million on higher prices and marketings for most of these crops.
Lentil receipts posted the lone decline (-$95.9 million) among specialty crops. Although prices were up 31.1%, marketings were down 44.3%, with exports of lentils to India and Turkey decreasing from the same quarter a year earlier.
Livestock receipts rise on higher hog receipts
Livestock receipts rose 4.5% to $7.0 billion in the first quarter on higher hog receipts. Seven provinces reported higher livestock receipts compared with the same quarter of 2020, led by Quebec (+$158.0 million) and Ontario (+$81.4 million).
Strong demand for pork pushed marketings (+7.8%) and prices (+16.6%) higher, leading to a 25.8% rise in hog receipts. Slaughter hog receipts accounted for just over 87% of total hog receipts. Tight supplies and high prices in the United States have led to increased demand for Canadian live hog exports, for which receipts were up 45.4%.
Receipts for the supply-managed sectors (which accounted for 43.2% of total livestock receipts) rose 0.8% to $3.0 billion. Higher receipts for chicken for meat (+$14.8 million), milk (+$12.9 million) and eggs (+$7.2 million) were partially offset by lower receipts for turkeys for meat (-$10.3 million).
Slightly offsetting the increase in livestock receipts, cattle and calves receipts fell 1.7% to $2.3 billion, mostly because of a 27.1% drop in international exports. Both marketings (-15.8%) and prices (-13.3%) contributed to this drop in receipts for international exports.
Program payments rise as a result of the Dairy Direct Payment Program
Program payments rose $144.5 million (+14.6%) to $1.1 billion in the first quarter.
The Dairy Direct Payment Program accounted for $457.3 million of the payments. The program compensates dairy farmers for market access concessions made under various trade agreements. The bulk of these payments went to Quebec ($171.5 million) and Ontario ($140.4 million) dairy farmers.
The increase in program payments was offset by a $211.3 million (-31.2%) decrease in crop insurance payments to $466.1 million.
Note to readers
As a result of COVID-19 and to provide Canadians with the most recent data, data on farm cash receipts are currently released on a quarterly basis. Data for the second quarter are now scheduled for release on August 31.
All data in this release 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. These 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. Marketings are quantities sold, using various units of measure.
Data are extracted from administrative files and derived from other Statistics Canada surveys and/or other sources. These data are subject to revision. COVID-19 has also had some impact on normal collection operations. For certain commodities, it was not possible to collect data either in time or at all; in these cases, estimates were produced (e.g., fur, maple syrup). Revisions to these estimates will be made in future releases as data become available.
For details on farm cash receipts and net farm income for 2020 see the "Farm income" release in today's edition of The Daily.
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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).
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