200 Canadian farms each have more than 25,000 acres

Jul 26, 2023

OTTAWA — The biggest farms in Canada are on the Prairies. And they are huge. In fact, according to Statistics Canada, there are 200 Canadian farms that each comprise more than 25,000 acres. That’s 200 farms that collectively own more than 5-million acres.

Of these massive mega-farms, of more than 25,000 acres each, there are 87 in Alberta, 83 in Saskatchewan and 7 in Manitoba.

Statistics Canada would not break down the number of Ontario farms that have 25,000 acres or more, citing privacy concerns, as there are none or very few.

There are, however, 48 Ontario farms that each have 5,000 acres or more.

Source : Farmersforum

Video: Why Invest in Canada’s Seed Future? | On The Brink: Episode 3

Darcy Unger just invested millions to build a brand-new seed plant on his farm in Stonewall, Manitoba so when it’s time for his sons to take over, they have the tools they need to succeed.

Right now, 95% of the genetics they’ll be growing come from Canadian plant breeders.

That number matters.

When fusarium hit Western Canada in the late 90s, it was Canadian breeders who responded, because they understood Canadian conditions. That ability to react quickly to what’s happening on Canadian farms is exactly what’s at risk when breeding programs lose funding.

For farmers like Darcy, who have made generational investments based on the assumption that better genetics will keep coming, the stakes are direct and personal.

We’re on the brink of decisions that will shape our agricultural future for not only our generation, but also the ones to come.

What direction will we choose?

On The Brink is a year-long video series traveling across Canada to meet the researchers, breeders, farmers, seed companies, and policymakers shaping the future of Canadian plant breeding. Each week, a new story. Each story, a piece of the bigger picture.

Episode 3 is above. Follow Seed World Canada to catch every episode, and tell us: Do you think the next generation will have the tools they need to success when they takeover? How is the future going to look?