Trends show fewer farms, aging population of farmers in Sask.: StatsCan

Over the last five years, Saskatchewan has lost 395 farms, according to Statistics Canada's latest agriculture census. 

The 2021 census of agriculture says Saskatchewan now has 34,128 farms, down from 34,523 in 2016 — a 1.1 per cent drop, and part of a longer trend. In 2001, the province had 50,598 farms, Statistics Canada says.

The number of farm operators in the province is also dropping. There were 44,140 in 2021, compared to 45,350 in 2016 and down significantly from 66,275 in 2001.

"We've seen quite a trend to losing farms and farmers over the years," said Cathy Holtslander, director of research and policy at the National Farmers Union.

"That's the wrong direction. We want more farmers to be working on the farms, not fewer."

The Statistics Canada report says "trends identified in previous census cycles, such as industry consolidation and aging of farm operators, have continued in 2021."

Across Canada, "smaller and mid-sized farms are declining … impacting the rural landscape and profile of Canadian regions," the report says.

Holtslander says that's evident in the statistics from Saskatchewan.

While the number of farms overall has dropped, the number that are over 3,500 acres — the largest classification in the agriculture census — has increased over the last 20 years.

There's also an increasing trend toward more land being rented, said Holtslander — a change driven by the cost of land and farm debt.

"In 2020, the farm debt had gone up by $4 billion in Saskatchewan. That's a lot of debt the farmers are carrying," she said. "In 2021, it will likely be even higher, especially with interest rates going up."

About 60 per cent of land is owned and 40 per cent is rented, she said.

The average age of people working on farms is increasing, Statistics Canada says. 

Nationally, the proportion of farm operators 55 and older grew to 60.5 per cent, up from 54.5 per cent in 2016, according to the latest report. Meanwhile, the share of operators under 35 was 8.6 per cent, down slightly from 9.1 per cent in 2016.