More than half of Canadian farmers are optimistic about the future of agriculture, says an annual study conducted by Farm Credit Canada.
Farmers’ optimism is almost the same as in two previous years.
The survey talked to 4,500 farmers, farm business operators and agriculture food operators last fall about their views on the state of agriculture.
Fifty-five percent were optimistic about the future of agriculture, compared to 54 percent in 2008 and 53 percent in 2007, the first year of the survey.
Respondents were defined as optimistic if they said their farm or business would be much better off or somewhat better off in five years.
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In Alberta, 46 percent of respondents were optimistic about the future of agriculture. The poultry sector was the most optimistic at 70 percent followed by dairy at 59 percent, crops at 53 percent and beef at 38 percent.
In Saskatchewan, 55 percent of farmers were optimistic. Crop producers were significantly more likely to be optimistic, at 58 percent, than beef producers at 44 percent.
In Manitoba, 59 percent of producers were optimistic.
The country’s dairy producers were among the most optimistic about their future, with 70 percent of them expressing optimism last year.
Only two in five beef respondents were optimistic.
Forty-one percent of beef respondents in British Columbia were significantly more likely to be pessimistic about the future of agriculture compared to Saskatchewan at 21 percent and Manitoba at 19 percent.
Nationally, in the crop sector, 57 percent of respondents were optimistic.
In the poultry sector, 60 percent were optimistic nationally, down from 65 percent last year.
Poultry producers are also significantly more likely to report that they have recommended a career in agriculture. In 2009, 53 percent of them said they would recommend agriculture as a career, up from 38 percent in 2007.
One-third of beef respondents said they would encourage a career in agriculture.
“There will always be challenges, but at the same time there are opportunities in agriculture, an industry that is the backbone of a strong and healthy Canada,” FCC president Greg Stewart said in a news release.
