Agriculture in Canada
A wide range of agriculture is practised in Canada from Newfoundland on the Atlantic to British Columbia on the Pacific.
Early in the 21st century, Canadian agronomists were aware of 58 "primary grain, vegetable and fruit crops", based on surface area and value.
[8] Rapeseed, alfalfa, barley, canola, flax, rye, and oats are other popularly grown grain crops.
To help homesteaders attain an abundance harvest in a foreshortened growing season, varieties of wheat were developed at the beginning of the 20th century.
Dr. C. Saunders, experimented further with Red Fife, and developed Mini Wheats, which was resistant to rust and came to maturity within 100 days.
The Prairie Farm Rehabilitation Administration (PFRA) was established in 1935 to provide Federal financial assistance in regard to the global economical crisis.
[14] Scientists have been making forward steps in swine research giving rise to intensive pig farming.
[19] In 2011, the hog industry was the fourth largest in Canada, after canola, dairy products and cattle, with cash receipts of $3.9 billion.
[21] Horticulture crops, which includes nursery, flowers and fruits, became easier to grow with the development of plant hardiness zones.
[22] Apples, pears, plums and prunes, peaches, apricots, cherries, strawberries, raspberries, loganberries and fruit orchards are numerous and reach commercial size in the Annapolis Valley of Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Quebec, Niagara Peninsula and Norfolk County of Ontario and Okanagan Valley[23] of British Columbia.
[33] Fowl, poultry, eggs, chickens, geese, ducks and turkeys are part of a system of supply management.
According to BC Business Magazine, the crop is worth $7.5 billion to the province annually, and gives employment to 250,000 people.
[41] The Constitution also states that the federal Government has sole authority in coastal and inland fishery matters.
[41] Canadian farms, fisheries and ranches produce a wide variety of crops, livestock, food, feed, fibre, fuel and other goods by the systematic raising of plants and animals which are dependent upon the geography of the province.
In 2001 farms numbered only 246,923 at a size of 676 acres (2.74 km2) as the production of food and fibre for human or livestock sustenance has evolved into intensive and industrial practices.
Canadian farmers received a record $36.3 billion in 2001 from livestock, crop sales and program payments.
Canada's evolution has abandoned subsistence techniques and now sees a mere 3% of Canada's population employed as a mechanized industrial farmer who are able feed the rest of the nation's population of 30,689.0 thousand people (2001) as well as export to foreign markets.
Support agencies and services such as storage, railways, warehouses, stores, banking institutions all affect domestic trade.
Following World War II the United Kingdom entered into contract for a large amount of agricultural commodities such as bacon, cheese, wheat, oats and barley.
[83] From 1914 to 1922, the Better Farming Train travelled around rural of Saskatchewan areas educating pioneer farmers.
After mechanization, scientific advancement, improved marketing practices farms became more efficient, larger and less labour-intensive.
[86] Plows, tractors, spreaders, combines to name a few are some mechanized implements for the grain crop or horticultural farmer which are labour saving devices.
The drought resulted in a mass exodus of population from the prairies, as well as new agricultural practices such as soil conservation, and crop rotation.
[90] Mad cow disease in cattle[91] and scrapie of sheep[92] are monitored by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency.
Plants whose traits can be modified to survive a disease or insect have made inroads into Canadian agricultural practices.
Cereal rusts which can destroy the majority of areas seeded to wheat, was controlled in 1938 by breeding strains which were rust-resistant.
[94][95] During the drought of 2002, Ontario had a good season and produced enough crops to send a vast amount of hay to those hit the hardest in Alberta.
[97] By looking at historical forecasts, there is a strong indication that there is no true way to estimate or to know the amount of rain to expect for the upcoming growing season.
[98] To increase the viability of agriculture as an economic lifestyle several improvements have been made by various nationwide educational facilities.
