Canadian Cereal Crops Have $68.8 Billion Impact on Economy

A new report commissioned by Cereals Canada has found that Canadian-grown wheat, barley, durum, and oats had an estimated total economic impact of $68.8 billion, including more than 370,000 Canadian jobs, and $27 billion in wages, a March 14 news release said.

“The cereals value chain is a major contributor to Canada’s success,” Dean Dias, Cereals Canada CEO, said in the report. “The report reinforces the vital role that the Canadian cereals industry plays in Canada’s economy.”

The report entitled “The Economic Impact of Wheat, Durum, Barley, and Oats on the Canadian Economy: 2022” highlights the significant contribution from these four crops, the release said. Cereals Canada hired LMC International, an independent economic consulting firm focused on the agriculture and agribusiness sector, for the study.

The report outlines the impact of wheat, barley, durum, and oats on the Canadian economy through crop production, transportation, and processing, and provides both the direct and total revenue, full-time equivalent jobs, and total wages generated by each crop, the release said. Averaged over the past three years, the direct economic impact on the Canadian economy was $25.9 billion per year.