Who's minding Atlantic Canada's farms?

Distribution of farm operators in Atlantic Canada by age class, 1991 to 2001
Other highlights

The number of farm operators in Atlantic Canada declined 12.3%, from 13,930 in 1996 to 12,215 in 2001. Prince Edward Island had the largest percentage decrease in farm operators in Atlantic Canada, declining 16.2% since 1996. The decrease in farm operators in Atlantic Canada is similar to the 12.7% decline in the number of farms reported on May 15, 2002 in Farm operations: regional trends.

Dividing the farm operator population into three age categories - under 35 years, 35 to 54 and 55 and over—shows clear trends. Although operators have declined in number since the last census, the change in the youngest group (which includes operators from 15 years of age to 34) is dramatic and casts an increasingly large and grey shadow over farming's future. From 1996 to 2001, the number of operators under 35 decreased by 39.7%. Since 1991, operators in this group dropped by 51%.

Another way to look at the whole picture is to consider the shares held by each age group. As the share of the younger group shrinks from census to census, the two older groups tend to increase: in 2001, nearly 55% were between the ages of 35 and 54 and those 55 and over represented 35.9%. The youngest group is now less than one-tenth of all farmers; 10 years ago it was nearly one-fifth of farm operators. Whether the picture is viewed in absolute or relative terms, farm operators are a greying population.

A comparable group of self-employed workers under 35 in the general labour force constitutes 19.1% of all self-employed workers in Atlantic Canada. This is a stark difference from the 9.4% of farm operators under 35.

Distribution of farm operators in Atlantic Canada by age class, 1991 to 2001

Distribution of farm operators in Newfoundland and Labrador by age class, 1991 to 2001

Distribution of farm operators in Prince Edward Island by age class, 1991 to 2001

Distribution of farm operators in Nova Scotia by age class, 1991 to 2001

Distribution of farm operators in New Brunswick by age class, 1991 to 2001

A further indication of an aging farm population in Atlantic Canada is the increase in the median age of farm operators. The median age increased from 48 years in 1996 to 50 in 2001. In addition, of all the farm operators counted on May 15, 2001, 14.4% were 65 or over. Another 2,600, or 21.5%, will celebrate their 65th birthday by 2011. By contrast, 8.1% of the entire labour force will turn 65 by the 2011 Census.

Additional profiles on the other provinces, and on women farm operators, operator injuries, and on- and non-farm work are available at Profiles of Canadian farm operators. Tables with more provincial detail about farm operators, including their median age and sex, on- and non-farm work, injuries, and distribution by farm type, gross farm receipts, and farm capital are available at Canadian Statistics.

Other highlights

Newfoundland and Labrador
Prince Edward Island
Nova Scotia
New Brunswick

Newfoundland and Labrador

• In 2001, there were 780 farm operators on 643 farms in Newfoundland and Labrador. Single-operator farms accounted for 79.7% of all farms, while same generation farms accounted for 17.2% and multiple-generation farms made up the remaining 3.1%. (Operators must have at least 20 years difference in age but not necessarily be related to be considered of a different generation.)
• The proportion of female farm operators in Newfoundland and Labrador increased slightly between 1996 and 2001. Women made up 21.2% of all farm operators in 2001, up from 18.4% in 1996. Nationally, the female proportion was 26.3%.
• In 2001, the median age of male operators in Newfoundland and Labrador was 51 years, an increase of four years from 1996. The median age for female operators in Newfoundland and Labrador moved to 48 from 45 in 1996. Nationally, the median age for male operators was 49 years and 48 years for female operators in 2001.
• In the last 12 months before the census, 15 farm operators in Newfoundland and Labrador — or 1.9% — suffered a farm-related injury requiring medical attention or resulting in lost time. Newfoundland and Labrador had the lowest injury rate in Canada. The national injury rate was 3.2%.
• The types of injuries were evenly distributed among nerve and spinal cord injuries, health conditions (such as chronic heart disease or asthma) and “other” injuries, a category that includes non-specific injuries such as a sore leg.
• The proportion of farm operators in Newfoundland and Labrador working more than 40 hours per week on the farm increased to 43.6% in 2000, up from 40.0% in 1995. Newfoundland and Labrador, along with Prince Edward Island and New Brunswick, were the only provinces where on-farm work greater than 40 hours per week increased in proportion between 1995 and 2000.
• In 2000, 43.8% of all female operators engaged in non-farm work in addition to their work on the farm compared with 48.4% of their male counterparts. Nationally, 45.6% of female and 44.2% of male operators had non-farm work.

Prince Edward Island

• In 2001, 2,455 farm operators were on 1,845 farms in Prince Edward Island. Single-operator farms accounted for 71.0% of all farms, while same-generation farms accounted for 19.5% of all farms and multiple-generation farms made up the remaining 9.5% of all farms. (Operators must have at least 20 years difference in age but not necessarily be related to be considered of a different generation.)
• The proportion of female farm operators in Prince Edward Island increased slightly between 1996 and 2001. Women made up 15% of all farm operators in 2001, up from 14% in 1996; however, Prince Edward Island continues to have the lowest proportion of female farm operators in Canada.
• In 2001, the median age of male operators in Prince Edward Island was 49 years, an increase of two years from 1996. Prince Edward Island has the same median age (49 years) for male operators as Canada.
• The median age for female operators in Prince Edward Island moved to 46 from 45 in 1996. Only Quebec has a younger median age (45 years) for female operators. Nationally, the median age for female operators was 48 years in 2001.
• In the last 12 months before the census, 75 farm operators in Prince Edward Island — or 3.1% — suffered a farm-related injury requiring medical attention or resulting in lost time. This was just below the national injury rate of 3.2%.
• The most common injuries suffered by Prince Edward Island farm operators were fractures (28.6%), open wounds (28.6%), and nerve and spinal cord injuries (21.4%).
• The proportion of farm operators in Prince Edward Island working more than 40 hours per week on the farm increased to 57.4%, up from 55.7% in 1995. Prince Edward Island has the largest proportion of farm operators working more than 40 hours per week on the farm. At the Canada level, 47.7% of operators work more than 40 hours per week on the farm.
• Prince Edward Island, along with Newfoundland and Labrador and New Brunswick, were the only provinces where on-farm work greater than 40 hours per week increased in proportion between 1995 and 2000.
• In 2000, 54.2% of all female operators engaged in non-farm work in addition to their work on the farm, compared with 41.5% of their male counterparts. Nationally, 45.6% of female and 44.2% of male operators had non-farm work.

Nova Scotia

• In 2001, 5,080 farm operators were on 3,923 farms in Nova Scotia. Single-operator farms accounted for 73.1% of all farms, while same-generation farms accounted for 20.3% of all farms and multiple-generation farms made up the remaining 6.6%. (Operators must have at least 20 years difference in age but not necessarily be related to be considered of a different generation.)
• The proportion of female farm operators in Nova Scotia increased slightly between 1996 and 2001. Women made up 21.4% of all farm operators in 2001, up from 20.4% in 1996. Although Nova Scotia has the largest proportion of females among the Atlantic provinces, its proportion of females was below the national level of 26.3%.
• In 2001, the median age of male operators in Nova Scotia was 51 years, an increase of two years from 1996. Only male operators in British Columbia had a higher median age — 52 years — than male operators in Nova Scotia. Nationally, the median age was 49 years.
• The median age for female operators in Nova Scotia moved to 49 from 46 in 1996. Nova Scotia, along with British Columbia and New Brunswick, had the oldest median age (49 years) for female operators in Canada. Nationally, the median age of female operators was 48 years.
• In the last 12 months before the census, 160 farm operators in Nova Scotia — or 3.1% — suffered a farm-related injury requiring medical attention or resulting in lost time. This was just below the national injury rate of 3.2%.
• The most common injuries suffered by Nova Scotia farm operators were sprains or strains (22.6%), nerve and spinal cord injuries (22.6%), fractures (16.1%), and open wounds (16.1%).
• The proportion of farm operators in Nova Scotia working more than 40 hours per week on the farm in 2000 remained unchanged at 40% since 1995. This was well below the 2000 national level of 47.7% for on-farm work of more than 40 hours per week.
• In 2000, 46.8% of all female operators in Nova Scotia engaged in non-farm work in addition to their work on the farm, compared with 48.6% of their male counterparts. Nationally, 45.6% of female and 44.2% of male operators had non-farm work.

New Brunswick

• In 2001, 3,895 farm operators were on 3,034 farms in New Brunswick. Single-operator farms accounted for 73.6% of all farms, while same-generation farms accounted for 20.5% of all farms and multiple-generation farms made up the remaining 6.3%. (Operators must have at least 20 years difference in age but not necessarily be related to be considered of a different generation.)
• The proportion of female farm operators in New Brunswick increased moderately between 1996 and 2001. Women made up 18.1% of all farm operators in 2001, up from 15.8% in 1996. New Brunswick had the second lowest proportion of female operators in Canada. Prince Edward Island had the lowest female proportion, at 14.7%.
• In 2001, the median age of male operators in New Brunswick was 50 years, an increase of two years from 1996. Nationally, the male median age was 49 years.
• The median age for female operators in New Brunswick moved to 49 from 46 in 1996. New Brunswick, along with British Columbia and Nova Scotia, had the highest median age (49 years) for female operators in Canada. Nationally, the female median age was 48 years.
• In the last 12 months before the census, 100 farm operators in New Brunswick — or 2.6% — suffered a farm-related injury requiring medical attention or resulting in lost time. This was slightly lower than the national injury rate of 3.2%.
• The most common injuries suffered by New Brunswick farm operators were fractures (28.6%), open wounds (23.8%), sprains or strains (14.3%), and nerve and spinal cord injuries (14.3%).
• The proportion of farm operators in New Brunswick working more than 40 hours per week on the farm increased to 45.7% of all operators in 2000, up from 43.4% in 1995. New Brunswick, along with Prince Edward Island and Newfoundland and Labrador, were the only provinces where on-farm work greater than 40 hours per week increased in proportion between 1995 and 2000.
• In 2000, 43.3% of all female operators in New Brunswick engaged in non-farm work in addition to their work on the farm, compared with 49.2% of their male counterparts. Nationally, 45.6% of female and 44.2% of male operators had non-farm work.

The complete set of data on farm operators, including distribution by age class, is now available at the county, municipality and regional district levels (or their equivalents) in Farm operator data: initial release (95F0355X1E, free) on Statistics Canada’s Web site (/start.html). From the Our products and services page choose Free publications then Agriculture.

For more information, or to enquire about the concepts, methods or data quality of this release, contact Gaye Ward (613-951-3172), Census of Agriculture, or Media Relations (613-951-4636).

Require assistance or advice on 2001 Census of Agriculture Products and Services? Contact the nearest Statistics Canada Regional Reference Centre.