Canadian Dairy Farmers are Most Optimistic
CANADA - Almost six in 10 farmers nationwide plan to expand or diversify their farming operations in the next five years, according to a new survey by Canada's federal agriculture lender, Farm Credit Canada, which released results from a national survey of its Vision panel.Results show 27 per cent of producers plan
expansion, 11 per cent plan to diversify and 20 per cent plan to both expand and diversify.
Another 27
per cent plan no changes and 15 per cent plan to either downsize or quit farming.
The survey, conducted
last autumn, found farmers' and agribusiness owners' optimism to be at an all-time high since it began its
Vision panel surveys in 2007, with 80 per cent now expecting their farm or business to be better off in
five years.
Another 11 per cent expect no change and nine per cent expect their operations to be worse
off. Among various agriculture sectors, optimism runs highest in the dairy industry at 84 per cent,
followed by crops at 82 per cent, and poultry and horticulture both at 81 per cent.
Lowest optimism was
registered in the hog sector at 75 per cent. Geographically, producers in Saskatchewan are more likely to
be optimistic about the future (82 per cent), followed by Ontario (81 per cent) and Alberta (80 per cent).
Lowest optimism was recorded in the four Atlantic Provinces (74 per cent).
Full results of the survey
can be found here:
http://www.fccvision.ca/Articles/46
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