Farm bankruptcy numbers may not give true picture

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Published: April 11, 2002

Farm bankruptcies in Western Canada have dropped by a third in the last

10 years, falling to 133 in 2001 from 331 in 1991.

But prairie farm leaders say the decline should not be interpreted to

mean times are getting easier for farmers, especially those in crop

production.

Keystone Agricultural Producers president Weldon Newton said the

numbers can be deceiving, since they don’t take into account the number

of producers opting to quit farming before they go broke.

“People are making decisions and getting out before they’re forced into

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bankruptcy,” he said.

“They’re making those decisions before they get to those extremes now.”

Terry Hildebrandt, president of the Agricultural Producers Association

of Saskatchewan, said many of today’s farmers have 30 to 40 years

experience in the industry. That experience has made them more

resilient.

At the same time, he said, there are fewer young people choosing to

farm, and it is the beginning farmers who often have the greatest

financial risk.

Although farm bankruptcy numbers may not be the best way to gauge the

state of farming, they do help illustrate the difficulties faced by

prairie crop producers, especially those in Saskatchewan.

Forty-eight Saskatchewan farms that were devoted exclusively to crop

production declared bankruptcy in 2001, which was three-quarters of all

farm bankruptcies in the province that year.

Hildebrandt said this reflects strong cattle prices and low grain

prices. As well, crop production is a large sector of agriculture in

Saskatchewan.

In Alberta, the highest number of farm bankruptcies was also among

producers growing only crops.

Last year’s drought in much of Alberta and parts of Saskatchewan

compounded the challenges for grain and oilseed producers.

Meanwhile, farm bankruptcies among Alberta fruit and vegetable

producers were the highest in more than a decade.

Officials in the market garden and greenhouse industries could only

speculate on why that increase occurred. Severe winterkill of

strawberry fields in the winter of 2000-01 was cited as one of the main

possibilities. Drought was also a likely factor.

In Manitoba, farm bankruptcy numbers for 2001 were similar between crop

producers, livestock producers and those with mixed farms.

About the author

Ian Bell

Brandon bureau

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