Census of Agriculture: Changes to the questionnaire, 2026
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Highlights
The Census of Agriculture (CEAG) provides a comprehensive and integrated profile of the physical, economic, social and environmental aspects of Canada’s agriculture industry. The data produced by the CEAG program are foundational to supporting economic growth, recovery, and sustainability for the businesses in the agriculture industry, especially as it relates to international trade, competitiveness, and advancing agricultural science and innovation such as reporting and research on climate change.
Statistics Canada prioritizes the collection of data relevant to the agriculture industry, while improving the overall cost effectiveness of the CEAG and reducing response burden. To produce the census questionnaire, Statistics Canada conducted extensive consultations (the results were published in the Statistics Canada 2026 Census of Agriculture Content Consultation Report) with different governments, agricultural operators, farm organizations, and data users. Additionally, a census test was conducted to determine whether new or revised questions under consideration can be easily understood and correctly answered.
The key 2026 CEAG content changes have been summarized under three main themes. A list of all content changes by module is available in Appendix A.
Fewer questions for respondents to answer, using administrative data
To reduce the effort needed to complete the questionnaire, six questions have been removed from the 2026 CEAG questionnaire and will be replaced with administrative data. Additionally, some respondents will benefit from further reduction in the number of commodity-related questions thanks to the integration of additional administrative data.
As required by the Statistics Act, all data usage, including administrative data, must abide by strict confidentiality requirements. For further information on Statistics Canada’s use of administrative data please see Administrative data.
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2026 Census of Agriculture administrative data usage
Three questions related to Paid labour and three related to Gross farm receipts and operating expenses have been removed entirely from the questionnaire. This information will instead be obtained from data shared by Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) with Statistics Canada.
For respondents who completed Statistics Canada’s Annual Greenhouse, Sod and Nursery Survey some of their responses to that survey will be used to replace two Greenhouses questions. For some maple producers, administrative data from the Producteurs et productrices acéricoles du Québec (PPAQ) will be used to replace the Maple tree taps question, further shortening the questionnaire.
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Reflecting the current agricultural industry
Several questions have been changed to better reflect the evolution of key sectors within the Canadian agricultural industry. These changes reflect what was heard during content consultations with data users across federal government departments and provincial ministries, agricultural associations, and educational institutions.
New commodities previously captured under an ‘other’ category are now explicitly listed on the questionnaire. For 2026, Nectarines and Hazelnuts are now listed in the Fruits, berries and nuts section, while Greenhouse lettuces has been listed under the Greenhouse fruits and vegetables category in the Greenhouse products question. Also, a new livestock technology option, Electronic feed monitoring system, has been added in the Technologies question.
In 2026, respondents will be asked to report the acreage for specific land practices in the Land practices and features question, including In-field winter grazing or feeding, Rotational grazing, Turning in green crops, and Planting fall or winter cover crops. Additionally, the bioenergy question now includes two categories—biomass combustion and biofuel and biogas—to respond to respondent feedback and gain further insight on renewable energy production.
During consultations, data users reiterated the importance of collecting information on topics such as Renewable energy, Organic products, Direct sales, and adoption of Technologies or a Succession plan. Given their importance to users and that CEAG is the only source of these data at the community level, these key questions remain on the questionnaire.
Making it easier and quicker to complete the questionnaire
Through multiple stages of testing with respondents to identify opportunities to improve clarity and make filling out the questionnaire easier, functionality-enhancing changes were applied throughout the questionnaire. For example, instructions to check the help button were added in the Field vegetables and Fruits, berries and nuts questions to help farmers reporting very small areas.
Additionally, some questions and their respective include/exclude statements and lists of examples have been refined to enhance reporting accuracy, such as the “Mushrooms” questions.
Furthermore, the filter question on Farm vehicles, machinery and equipment was removed and a new navigational option was introduced in the Agricultural activity module. This enables respondents to easily navigate to questions pertinent to their operation and simplify completion.
| Question | Module | 2026 CEAG |
|---|---|---|
| 1, 2 and 3 | Business or organization and contact information | • Wording changes. |
| 4 | Agricultural activity | • Updated the list of examples • Added a definition for ‘this operation or this agricultural operation’ • Added an option for operations that do not produce agricultural products but rent all their land or farm buildings to other agricultural operations to produce agricultural products • Wording changes. |
| 1 and 2 | CRA business numbers | • Spelled out acronyms GST and HST • Added ‘RT 0001’ to the business number example. |
| 3, 4, 5 and 6 | Agricultural operators | No changes. |
| (7, 8 and 9) | Paid labour | • Total replacement and removal. |
| 7 | Main farm location | • Added postal code for the Prairies and parts of British Columbia • Added a postal code example • Wording changes. |
| 8 | Unit of measure | No changes. |
| 9 | Area of land | • Updated non-workable land description and examples • Updated the Crop-shared land category. |
| 10 | Mushrooms filter question | No changes. |
| 11 | Maple tree taps filter question | • Added an Exclude statement. |
| 12 | Sod, nursery products or Christmas trees filter question | No changes. |
| 13 | Greenhouses filter question | • Added a ‘for sale’ statement to the question • Updated the Exclude statement. |
| 14 | Fruits, berries or nuts filter question | • Updated the Include statement. |
| 15 | Field vegetables filter question | • Updated the Include and Exclude statements. |
| 16 | Hay and field crops filter question | • Updated the Include and Exclude statements • Wording changes. |
| 17 | Bees filter question | • Added examples of pollinating bees to the question • Wording changes. |
| 18 | Poultry filter question | • Changed reference period from census day to census year. |
| 19 | Chickens or turkeys filter question | • Wording changes to question. |
| 20 | Eggs filter question | • Wording changes to question • Updated the Exclude statement. |
| 21 | Commercial poultry hatchery filter question | No changes. |
| 22 | Livestock filter question | • Changed reference period from census day to census year • Updated livestock list of examples. |
| 23 | Organic products | • Wording changes to the certification options. |
| (27) | Machinery filter question | • Removed. |
| 24 | Hay and field crops | • Updated the Include statement • Added Exclude statements for Other dry beans and alfalfa category • Updated the Other field crops list of examples • Wording changes. |
| 25 | Field vegetables | • Added a ‘for sale’ statement to the question • Added Include statements to the question and the Lettuce category • Added an Exclude statement under Sweet corn • Updated the Other field vegetables list of examples • Added information for small producers in the help button. |
| 26 | Fruits, berries and nuts | • Added a ‘for sale’ statement to the question • Updated the question, the Include and the Example statements • Added two categories: Nectarines and Hazelnuts • Updated the Other fruits, berries and nuts list of examples • Added ‘Cultivated’ and Wild’ to blueberries • Added information for small producers in the help button. |
| 27 | Sod, nursery products or Christmas trees | • Added an Include statement under Sod • Added an Exclude statement for Nursery products • Wording changes. |
| 28 | Land use | • Wording changes to the question, Cropland category, and All other land and buildings category. |
| 29 | Summerfallow | No changes. |
| 30 | Tillage and seeding practices | • Added the words ‘conservation’ and ‘conventional’ to categories b and c, respectively. |
| 31 | Land practices and features-Land practices | • Added a request for area in all categories • Changed two category names to ‘Turning in green crops’ and ‘Planting fall or winter cover crops’ • Updated the Include statement for Planting fall or winter cover crops • Added an Exclude statement for Planting fall or winter cover crops. |
| 32 | Land practices and features-Shelterbelts and windbreaks | No changes. |
| 33 | Crop residue | No changes. |
| 34 | Inputs or manure—Filter | • Added the different types of inputs to the question. |
| 35 | Inputs or manure—Types | • Added instructions to question • Wording changes to categories. |
| 36 | Irrigation | • Updated the Include list of examples. |
| 37 | Mushrooms, Agaricus | • Updated the Include statement to include ‘for sale.’ |
| 38 | Mushrooms, Specialty—Types | No changes. |
| 39 | Mushrooms, Specialty—Bags / wood logs | • Updated the Exclude statement to exclude mushrooms grown for personal consumption • Added units of measure. |
| 40 | Mushrooms, Specialty—Other production systems | • Wording changes to question • Updated the Exclude statement to exclude mushrooms grown for personal consumption • Added an Include statement • Added units of measure. |
| 41 | Greenhouses—Total greenhouse area | • Partial replacement • Wording changes to the question to include ‘for sale’ • Added units of measure • Updated the Exclude statement. |
| 42 | Greenhouses—Greenhouse products | • Partial replacement • Added a Lettuce subcategory • Wording changes to subcategories. |
| 43 | Maple tree taps | • Partial replacement • Updated the Exclude statement. |
| 44 | Bees—Honeybees | No changes. |
| 45 | Bees—Other pollinating bees | No changes. |
| Poultry—Introduction | • Added instructions related to the resting period between flocks. | |
| 46 | Poultry | • Added new category, grouping Breeders subcategories • Wording changes. |
| 47 | Chicken production | • Wording changes to question • Updated the Exclude statement. |
| 48 | Turkey production | • Wording changes to question. |
| 49 | Table eggs | No changes. |
| 50 | Hatching eggs | No changes. |
| 51 | Commercial poultry hatcheries | No changes. |
| Livestock—Introduction | • Added instructions related to empty barns due to resting period. | |
| 52 | Livestock—Cattle or calves | No changes. |
| 53 | Livestock—Pigs | • Updated category name. |
| 54 | Livestock—Sheep or lambs | No changes. |
| 55 | Livestock—Other livestock | • Wording changes. |
| 56 | Technologies | • Added an Electronic feed monitoring system category • Updated categories (name, Include statements and examples). |
| 57 | Renewable energy—Types | • Restructured categories • Wording changes. |
| 58 | Renewable energy—Usage | • Wording changes. |
| 59 | Market value | • Wording changes to question and categories • Updated Exclude statement. |
| 60 | Farm vehicles, machinery and equipment | • Restructured categories • Updated example. |
| (65, 66 and 67) | Gross farm receipts and operating expenses | • Total replacement and removal. |
| 61 | Direct sales filter question | • Wording changes to question • Updated the Exclude statement. |
| 62 | Direct sales—Type of products | • Wording changes to question and categories • Updated list of examples. |
| 63 | Direct sales—Sale methods | • Wording changes to question • Updated the Exclude statement. |
| 64 | Direct sales—Percentage of gross farm receipts | • Wording changes to question • Updated the Exclude statement. |
| 65 | Succession plan | No changes. |
| 66 | Contact person | No changes. |
| 67 | Comments | No changes. |
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