Saskatchewan farmers’ incomes dipped slightly last year

Agriculture in Saskatchewan bucked a national trend to a modest increase in cash receipts last year. Nationally, farm cash receipts rose by 1.8 per cent to $61.6 billion, according to Statistics Canada. Farmers in Saskatchewan saw their farm cash receipts drop by one per cent to just over $41.4 billion.

Farm expenses in this province increased 1.28 per cent to $9.29 billion last year while across Canada farm expenses were up 2.4 per cent to $46.1 billion. Realized net income in Saskatchewan was down nine per cent to $3.1 billion. In Alberta, farm cash receipts were up 4.5 per cent to $14.1 billion with expenses up 3.8 per cent to $10.5 billion. Net income increased 9.3 per cent to $1.8 billion. In Manitoba, farm cash receipts were up nine per cent to $6.5 billion with expenses up almost three per cent to $4.85 billion. Net income was $312 million compared with $458 million the previous year.

Across Canada, net income was up a mere $6 million to $9.807 billion. Statistics Canada said livestock income rose 4.5 per cent while grains were essentially the same as in 2016. Hog and dairy incomes were up 9.8 per cent and 6.3 per cent higher

Lentil producers, mostly from this province, saw a 45 per cent decline in receipts, the second decline in two years. Dry pea receipts fell 30 per cent after a two-thirds increase in 2016.

Canola receipts increased 7.3 per cent but were unable to offset reductions in pulse income.

Ron Walter can be reached at ronjoy@sasktel.net