The 2021 Census of Agriculture and oilseed farming in Canada

In May 2021, farm operators will be asked to complete the 2021 Census of Agriculture questionnaire to help update Canada's agricultural profile.

Data from the census will provide farm operators, farm organizations, policy makers, stakeholders and citizens with relevant information about the Canadian agricultural sector, and will help them make informed decisions regarding agricultural investments and practices in Canada.

Stakeholders

The participation of oilseed farmers in the Census of Agriculture is an important factor in obtaining new information at the local and national levels.

Accurate statistics give farm operators an understanding of past and present agricultural sector information and allow for well-informed responses to future farming challenges.

Policy makers

The Census of Agriculture is the backbone of Canada's agricultural statistics program. It identifies trends, opportunities and challenges within the agricultural sector. Questions cover topics such as land use, crops, livestock, agricultural labour, machinery and equipment, land management practices, and farm finances. The breadth and depth of the census content makes it the most definitive source of information on the agricultural sector. It provides a rich source of data on the realities of farming life in Canada.

Farm operators

In early May, farm operators will receive a letter with easy-to-follow instructions on how to complete the Census of Agriculture questionnaire online. This user-friendly option will save time by automatically adding totals and limiting the questions to those that apply to the operation. All agricultural operations in Canada are legally required to complete the census questionnaire, according to the Statistics Act. The questionnaire can be completed by anyone who is responsible for, or knowledgeable about, the day-to-day management decisions of the farming operation. The information provided will be kept strictly confidential and will be used only for statistical purposes as mandated by the same act.

This May, complete the Census of Agriculture questionnaire and be heard amongst Canada's oilseed farmers!

Quick oilseed farming facts from the 2016 Census of Agriculture

• In 2016, there were 34,904 farms growing oilseeds (canola, flaxseed, mustard seed and sunflower seed) on 22.2 million acres. The bulk of these oilseeds was canola (92.8% of the total oilseed area), followed by flaxseed (4.5%).
• Most of the canola area (99.2%) was reported on farms in the Prairie provinces. Saskatchewan led, with just over half (53.7%) of the national total, followed by Alberta (29.9%) and Manitoba (15.5%).
• Canola continued to surpass spring wheat as the number one field crop, with 20.6 million acres. This marked an 8.3% increase from 2011.
  • View a map of the Canola area by census division (CD), 2016, Canada.
  • View a map of the Flaxseed area by census division (CD), 2016, Canada.
  • View a map of the Mustard seed area by census division (CD), 2016, Canada.
  • View a map of the Sunflower seed area by census division (CD), 2016, Canada.
• The average size of farms that reported growing oilseeds (excluding soybeans) was 636 acres. The averages were as high as 756 acres in Saskatchewan, followed by 561 acres in Alberta and 555 acres in Manitoba.
• There were 12,870 farms specializing in oilseed farming (the majority of their farm receipts were from oilseed sales). Here are some facts about these farms:
  • They occupied a total of 10.1 million acres (45.5% of the overall number in Canada).
  • Among these 12,870 specialized oilseed farms, 51.9% were held in sole proprietorship, 28.8% were owned by family corporations, 17.4% were owned in partnerships and 1.8% were owned by non-family corporations.
  • The average size of a specialized oilseed farm was 784 acres.
  • There were 16,630 operators across Canada, and 78.5% were male.
  • The average operator age was 54.8 years old.
  • More than half of operators (54.8%) were 55 years and older, 34.6% were 35 to 54 years old, and 10.6% were younger than 35.
  • More than half of operators (60.3%) did not work anywhere other than on the farm, while 13.9% worked more than 40 hours per week at another job in addition to their farming duties.

For more information, please visit Statistics Canada—Census of Agriculture.