Farm cash receipts across Canada increased 24.8 per cent last year according to Statistics Canada to a record $89.9 billion despite one of the worst droughts in decades out West.
Government direct payments under farm safety net programs made up $5.94 billion or 6.6 per cent of total income last year.
That compares with $3.45 billion or four per cent of receipts in 2020.
In Saskatchewan farm cash receipts totalled $19.09 billion, up by 16 per cent.
Direct farm payments in this province of $2.2 billion increased by 330 per cent from 2020, reflecting the drought.
Alberta farm cash receipts increased 21 per cent to $18.637 billion with direct payments up 41.5 per cent to $2.08 billion.
In Manitoba drought was also bad with receipts up 22 per cent to $8.38 billion and directs payments up 103 per cent to $417.9 million.
Crop receipts decreases across the country amounted to just over $6 billion offset with a $300 million increase in livestock receipts.
Canola saw the largest decline in dollar value by $1.75 billion to $10.2 billion. Wheat declined in value by just over $1 billion to $7.1 billion.
Durum receipts fell by $365 million.
Saskatchewan farmers received $324 million less from canola, $299 million from durum and $232 million in wheat compared with 2020.
Ron Walter can be reached at [email protected]
