Here are a few fun facts that quantify a few realities of the farming sector.

U.S.$49.5 billion: The amount of the forecasted U.S. trade deficit for agricultural trade with Canada, which represents a $500-million increase from the forecast made last February. The jump in the trade deficit is largely attributed to Canadian consumers’ “buy Canadian” response to trade tariffs imposed by the U.S. on Canadian good.

$146 billion: That is the total debt held by Canadian farmers in 2023, a figure that grew by 5.1 per cent from the previous year.

46%: The percentage of young farmers who responded to a survey conducted by the Canadian Federation of Agriculture and Farm Credit Canada who said they  have never been a member of an association related to agriculture and food.

$832.5 billion: The value of the Canadian agricultural sector as of Dec. 21, 2024, which represents a $38.9-billion increase, or 4.9 per cent jump, from the same date in 2023. From that date in 2022 to the corresponding date in 2023, Canadian farm assets saw a 8.5-per-cent rate in growth.