Early March has brought a very bearish tone to the commodity and equity markets due to concerns regarding the coronavirus. As a result, both the Bank of Canada and the U.S. Federal Reserve aggressively cut their key rates 50 basis-points. The possibility of both countries making even stronger cuts in the coming months is likely… Read More
Near the end of November and into December, Manitoba Agriculture will have its auction for Crown land leases. “The former Department of Agriculture conducted extensive consultations with stakeholders on the allocation of agricultural Crown lands,” says Blaine Pedersen, minister of agriculture and resource development. “The auction system is a fair and transparent approach that will… Read More
We’ve seen results from an early-campaign survey on what Canadians are worried about in regards to food, and we’ve heard from each of the four main parties heading into this federal election. But what I want to know is, what are YOUR priorities, Canadian agriculture? As media, I watched the debate, I interviewed Sylvain Charlebois… Read More
Call it a pause, though maybe not a correction, in the farmland value trend in Canada. It’s not a complete surprise, given the bull run land values have been on for years, but what does it mean for those looking to buy, sell, or rent? J.P. Gervais, chief agriculture economist with Farm Credit Canada, says… Read More
Area One Farms, an investment firm that builds equity partnerships with Canadian farmers, has announced the launch of Area One Farms Fund IV and Fund V. The two funds will offer investors the “opportunity to invest in equity partnerships with Canadian farmers and farmland.” According to a press release, Fund IV will offer Canadian institutional… Read More
After trending lower over the last four years, the rate of appreciation in farmland values regained momentum in 2017, based on Farm Credit Canada’s annual farmland values report. After rising by 7.9 percent in 2016, FCC says the national average increased by 8.4 percent in 2017. “I have to say I was a little bit… Read More
Farmland values across Canada continued their climb in 2017, rising by a national average of 8.4 percent, according to Farm Credit Canada’s annual farmland values report. Saskatchewan saw the largest increase, at 10.2 per cent, followed by Nova Scotia at 9.5 per cent, Ontario at 9.4 per cent, Quebec at 8.2 per cent, and Alberta at… Read More
Ontario farmers continue to spend big money on farmland, especially in the southwest part of the province. According to the annual Southwestern Ontario Land Values report from Valco Consultants, the median price paid for an acre of farmland in this region of the province came in at $12,710 in 2017, an average increase of 9.7… Read More
Canada is losing farmland each day. It’s not technically disappearing, mind you, it’s being bought up, levelled, and paved over for new suburbs and shopping malls. It’s also being speculated on, sometimes by surprising buyers — maybe it’s local farmers, but more likely by an investment fund looking to cash in on the seemingly endless… Read More
If there’s one thing expanding farming in Northern Ontario will require, it’s money. Financial backing. Bankrolling. Investment. Whatever name you give it, securing land is only a part of the cost of starting farming — new land must be cleared, cleaned up, and tiled if it’s to be improved to at least a Class 3…. Read More
Farm Credit Canada recently released its 2016 farmland values report, which breaks down farmland value changes by province. For Canada, the average of 7.9% growth in the value of farmland is certainly good news for those looking to sell or leverage land, but it does represent a slight cooling in farmland prices from 2015, when year-over-year… Read More
Cities and towns are approving land development now that may not happen for a decade. If we’re to protect farmland from being swallowed by ever-expanding municipal boundaries, we need to act now to stop it, says Keith Currie, president of the Ontario Federation of Agriculture (OFA) . Currie’s organization is one of 16 farm groups leading a… Read More
In the past, farms looking to grow simply bought more land, but that’s not as easy as it used to be. Rising land prices are forcing producers to be creative in finding opportunities for growth, which in some cases leads to joint ventures, mergers and acquisitions — the topic of this episode of the Mind Your Farm Business podcast. “The… Read More
The majority of respondents to the Saskatchewan government’s farmland ownership review this summer said they oppose foreign ownership and investors such as Canadian pension funds purchasing farmland in the province. More than 3,200 people submitted their views during the consultation process that ran from May 20 to August 10. The results were published on Wednesday…. Read More
According to Statistics Canada, over half a million acres of productive (class 1-3) farmland was “settled” between 2000 and 2011. This “settled area” on dependable agricultural land grew by 19 percent in Canada, with the largest increase happening in southern Ontario and Quebec. The loss of farmland isn’t a new phenomenon (the last time people… Read More