Looking forward: Preparing for the release of results from the 2021 Census of Agriculture

Released: 2022-02-22

Today is Canada's Agriculture Day, and, to celebrate, Statistics Canada would like to thank all of the farmers who took the time out of their busy schedules to answer our surveys and the Census of Agriculture, which took place in May 2021.

The COVID-19 pandemic has posed numerous challenges for Canada's farmers. Data from the Census of Agriculture support evidence-based decision making and inform debate on policy issues which impact Canadians.

Soon, Statistics Canada will publish a number of products and services based on data from the 2021 Census of Agriculture that will allow decision and policy makers, industry associations and farmers themselves to get a sense of trends and conditions in their respective communities. The official release of Census of Agriculture farm and farm operator data is scheduled for May 11, 2022.

New way of accessing Census of Agriculture data

With today being a celebration of Canada's agriculture, Statistics Canada is pleased to announce the release of a new Census of Agriculture interactive mapping tool. The tool currently provides information from the 2016 Census. This interactive mapping tool allows users to visualize Census of Agriculture data at all geographic levels for which Census of Agriculture data are published. Later this year, this mapping tool will be updated to include 2021 Census of Agriculture data following the release of farm and farm operator data.

Also released today is a series of reference maps from 2021 Census of Agriculture data. These maps provide geographic boundaries for which Census of Agriculture data are published.

Looking ahead

In April 2022, Statistics Canada will release the Guide to the Census of Agriculture. This reference product will help users both be prepared for the release of the 2021 Census of Agriculture data and understand its content. It will also provide information on changes and explanations for the various phases of the Census of Agriculture, from content determination to dissemination.

On May 11, 2022, one year after Census Day, Statistics Canada will unveil the results of the 2021 Census of Agriculture with the release of Farm and Farm Operator data. This multifaceted release will provide users with a robust portfolio of modern, interactive and user-friendly analytical products.

In addition to these data products, an in-depth analytical snapshot of the agricultural landscape in Canada will be released, along with a series of articles profiling farm and farm operators in each province and territory.

Later in the year, additional articles will be released in Canadian Agriculture at a Glance, which will be rebranded to provide easily accessible and succinct articles on current trends and issues faced by the industry. To further improve data access for users, additional products will also be released. More information on these data products will be shared in the months ahead.

A big thank you

The data and tools developed are a way for data users, including respondents to the Census of Agriculture, to engage with the data. None of this would be possible without the participation of farmers in responding to the Census of Agriculture questionnaire. Statistics Canada further recognizes the hard work of farmers in keeping our food-supply chain intact, especially during the pandemic. Thank you.

Forks up for Canada's Agriculture Day!

Products

The Census of Agriculture Mapping Tool, 2016 data and the 2021 Census of Agriculture Reference Maps are now available on the Statistics Canada website.

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@statcan.gc.ca) or Media Relations (613-951-4636; STATCAN.mediahotline-ligneinfomedias.STATCAN@statcan.gc.ca).