AgricultureID

Country agriculture profile · North America

Canada

Canada is a major exporter of wheat, canola, barley, and pulses, with production dominated by the vast rainfed grain and oilseed systems of the Prairie provinces. A short but long-day growing season shapes crop choice, favouring cool-season cereals, oilseeds, and legumes, while livestock production centres on extensive beef cattle in the west and supply-managed dairy and poultry in the east. The sector is highly mechanised and strongly oriented toward international grain and oilseed markets.

Stable overview + dated statistics6 subnational regions →Updated: 2026-07-12

Farming systems (stable overview)

Climate zones

  • Humid continental
  • Boreal / subarctic
  • Cold semi-arid (Prairies)
  • Temperate oceanic (Pacific coast)

Agroecological zones

  • Canadian Prairies
  • Great Lakes–St. Lawrence Lowlands
  • Fraser Valley and Okanagan (British Columbia)
  • Atlantic Canada

Dominant crop systems

  • Rainfed wheat, canola, barley, and pulses across the Prairies
  • Maize and soybean in Ontario and Quebec
  • Horticulture and tree fruit in British Columbia and the Niagara belt
  • Short-season cereals and forages at the northern margin of cultivation

Major livestock systems

  • Extensive cow–calf beef cattle on the Prairies
  • Supply-managed dairy concentrated in Ontario and Quebec
  • Confined hog production
  • Confined poultry under supply management

Irrigation: Most cropland is rainfed; irrigation is concentrated in the semi-arid southern Prairies (notably southern Alberta) and in intensive horticulture in British Columbia.

Latest verified data

Each value is the most recent available observation, shown with its own year and unit. Figures are periodically revised — treat them as dated, sourced statistics, not evergreen facts.

Latest available agricultural indicators, with year and unit
IndicatorValueUnitYear
Agricultural land6.47% of land area2023
Arable land4.34% of land area2023
Arable land per person0.95hectares per person2023
Cereal yield3,694.7kg per hectare2023
Cereal production59,240,420.77metric tons2023
Agriculture value added1.93% of GDP2022
Employment in agriculture(est.)1.13% of total employment2024
Forest area39.46% of land area2023

Source: World Bank Open Data (World Development Indicators) (opens in a new tab) · dataset version 2026-07-01 · retrieved 2026-07-12

Commodity market data

6,748 official observations across 62 commodities. Figures are shown on each commodity page with the unit, status and release its source published.

Commodities with official market series for this country
CommodityMetrics recorded
AlmondsExports, Export value, Imports, Import value
AvocadosExports, Export value, Imports, Import value
BananasExports, Export value, Imports, Import value
Barley GrainArea harvested, Production, Yield, Beginning stocks, Domestic use, Ending stocks, Exports, Feed use, Imports, Index value, Producer price, Export value, Import value
Black PeppercornsExports, Export value, Imports, Import value
Buckwheat GrainArea harvested, Production, Yield, Index value, Exports, Export value, Imports, Import value
Cashew NutsExports, Export value, Imports, Import value
ChickpeasArea harvested, Production, Yield, Index value, Producer price, Exports, Export value, Imports, Import value
Cocoa BeansExports, Export value, Imports, Import value
Cotton LintBeginning stocks, Ending stocks, Imports, Exports, Export value, Import value
CottonseedExports, Export value, Imports, Import value
CowpeasExports, Export value, Imports, Import value
CucumbersArea harvested, Production, Yield, Index value, Producer price, Exports, Export value, Imports, Import value
DatesExports, Export value, Imports, Import value
Dried ChilliesExports, Export value, Imports, Import value
Dried Tobacco LeafArea harvested, Production, Yield, Index value, Producer price, Exports, Export value, Imports, Import value
Dry BeansArea harvested, Production, Yield, Index value, Producer price, Exports, Export value, Imports, Import value
Dry Bulb OnionsArea harvested, Production, Yield, Index value, Producer price, Exports, Export value, Imports, Import value
Dry PeasArea harvested, Production, Yield, Index value, Producer price, Exports, Export value, Imports, Import value
Flax FibreExports, Export value, Imports, Import value
FlaxseedArea harvested, Production, Yield, Index value, Producer price, Exports, Export value, Imports, Import value
Fresh ApplesArea harvested, Production, Yield, Index value, Producer price, Exports, Export value, Imports, Import value
Fresh BlueberriesArea harvested, Production, Yield, Index value, Producer price, Exports, Export value, Imports, Import value
Fresh OrangesExports, Export value, Imports, Import value
Fresh PineapplesExports, Export value, Imports, Import value
Fresh StrawberriesArea harvested, Production, Yield, Index value, Producer price, Exports, Export value, Imports, Import value
Fresh SweetcornArea harvested, Production, Yield, Index value, Producer price
Fresh TomatoesArea harvested, Production, Yield, Index value, Producer price, Exports, Export value, Imports, Import value
Green CoffeeExports, Export value, Imports, Import value
GroundnutsBeginning stocks, Domestic use, Ending stocks, Exports, Imports, Import value
HazelnutsExports, Export value, Imports, Import value
Head CabbageArea harvested, Production, Yield, Index value, Producer price, Exports, Export value, Imports, Import value
Hemp FibreExports, Export value, Imports, Import value
Hen EggsProduction, Index value, Producer price, Exports, Export value, Imports, Import value
Jute FibreExports, Export value, Imports, Import value
LentilsArea harvested, Production, Yield, Index value, Producer price, Exports, Export value, Imports, Import value
Maize GrainArea harvested, Production, Yield, Beginning stocks, Domestic use, Ending stocks, Exports, Feed use, Imports, Index value, Producer price, Export value, Import value
Milled RiceDomestic use, Exports, Imports, Export value, Import value
Millet GrainExports, Export value, Imports, Import value
Oat GrainArea harvested, Production, Yield, Beginning stocks, Domestic use, Ending stocks, Exports, Feed use, Imports, Index value, Producer price, Export value, Import value
Pigeon PeasExports, Export value, Imports, Import value
PistachiosExports, Export value, Imports, Import value
RapeseedArea harvested, Production, Yield, Beginning stocks, Domestic use, Ending stocks, Exports, Imports, Index value, Producer price, Export value, Import value
Raw Cow MilkProduction, Index value, Producer price, Exports, Export value, Imports, Import value
Raw WoolProduction, Index value, Exports, Export value, Imports, Import value
Rice PaddyExports, Export value, Imports, Import value
Rye GrainArea harvested, Production, Yield, Beginning stocks, Domestic use, Ending stocks, Exports, Feed use, Imports, Index value, Producer price, Export value, Import value
Safflower SeedIndex value, Exports, Export value, Imports, Import value
Sesame SeedExports, Export value, Imports, Import value
Sorghum GrainExports, Export value, Imports, Import value
SoybeansArea harvested, Production, Yield, Beginning stocks, Domestic use, Ending stocks, Exports, Imports, Index value, Producer price, Export value, Import value
Sugar BeetArea harvested, Production, Yield, Index value, Exports, Export value, Imports, Import value
SugarcaneImports, Import value
Sunflower SeedArea harvested, Production, Yield, Beginning stocks, Domestic use, Ending stocks, Exports, Imports, Index value, Producer price, Export value, Import value
Sweet PotatoesExports, Export value, Imports, Import value
Tea LeafExports, Export value, Imports, Import value
Triticale GrainArea harvested, Production, Yield, Index value, Exports, Export value, Imports, Import value
Vanilla BeansExports, Export value, Imports, Import value
WalnutsExports, Export value, Imports, Import value
Ware PotatoesArea harvested, Production, Yield, Index value, Producer price, Exports, Export value, Imports, Import value
Wheat GrainArea harvested, Production, Yield, Beginning stocks, Domestic use, Ending stocks, Exports, Feed use, Imports, Index value, Producer price, Export value, Import value
YamsExports, Export value, Imports, Import value

How these figures are recorded

Cereal yield over time

201220182023
Canada — Cereal yield (kg per hectare). Bars start at zero.
Show data table
Canada — Cereal yield in kg per hectare by year
Yearkg per hectare
20123,456.3
20134,160.4
20143,647
20153,673
20164,239.1
20174,104.8
20183,914.7
20194,010.8
20204,091.9
20213,119.8
20224,078.7
20233,694.7

Source: World Bank Open Data (World Development Indicators) (opens in a new tab) · dataset version 2026-07-01 · retrieved 2026-07-12

Derived indicator

Arable land as a share of agricultural land: 67.1 % of agricultural land (2023)

Derived value — formula arable-share-of-agricultural-land v1.0.0 (calc v1). Inputs: AG.LND.ARBL.ZS (4.3) ÷ AG.LND.AGRI.ZS (6.5). A derived ratio, not an observed statistic. Sensitive to rounding and to differing revision cycles of the two source series; omit rather than extrapolate when a common year is unavailable.

Documented crops & livestock

Agricultural institutions

  • Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC) — Federal department responsible for agriculture and agri-food policy and research.
  • Statistics Canada — National statistical agency; conducts the Census of Agriculture.
  • Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) — Food safety, plant, and animal health regulation.

Agricultural authorities

Official public bodies verified against government sources. AgricultureID is independent and not affiliated with them.

  • Agriculture and IrrigationMinistry

    Agriculture and Irrigation is the first-order subnational public authority responsible for agriculture in Alberta.

  • Canadian Food Inspection AgencyInspectorate

    Canada’s federal food, plant and animal health inspection agency. It operates on the Government of Canada domain and is the federal body responsible for inspection and enforcement across the food, plant and animal sectors.

  • Department of Forestry, Agriculture and LandsMinistry

    Department of Forestry, Agriculture and Lands is the first-order subnational public authority responsible for agriculture in Newfoundland and Labrador.

  • Manitoba AgricultureMinistry

    Manitoba Agriculture is the first-order subnational public authority responsible for agriculture in Manitoba.

  • Ministère de l’Agriculture, des Pêcheries et de l’AlimentationMinistry

    Ministère de l’Agriculture, des Pêcheries et de l’Alimentation is the first-order subnational public authority responsible for agriculture in Quebec.

  • Ministry of AgricultureMinistry

    Ministry of Agriculture is the first-order subnational public authority responsible for agriculture in Saskatchewan.

  • Ministry of Agriculture and FoodMinistry

    Ministry of Agriculture and Food is the first-order subnational public authority responsible for agriculture in British Columbia.

  • Ministry of Agriculture, Food and AgribusinessMinistry

    Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Agribusiness is the first-order subnational public authority responsible for agriculture in Ontario.

  • Nova Scotia Department of AgricultureMinistry

    Nova Scotia Department of Agriculture is the first-order subnational public authority responsible for agriculture in Nova Scotia.

All agricultural authorities in Canada

Data coverage & limitations

Covered by the World Bank WDI snapshots for land, production, yield, economy, inputs, and environment indicators.

What AgricultureID has indexed for Canada
LayerStatusWhat is held
Agricultural authoritiesPartly covered9 records
Official registriesCovered3 records
Compliance requirementsNot yet indexed—
Support programmesNot yet indexed—
Biosecurity listingsNot yet indexed—
Variety registrationsCovered8 records
Input authorisationsCovered12,996 records
Extension resourcesNot yet indexed—
Market statisticsCovered457 records
Soil survey observationsNot yet indexed—
Border requirementsCovered1 record
Farm economics figuresNot yet indexed—
Climate, drought and water valuesCovered38 records

This page describes what AgricultureID has indexed, not what exists. A layer shown as not yet indexed means nobody has looked, and never that the thing is absent in that country. How coverage is worked out.

  • Statistics are dated, versioned, and periodically revised; always read them with their year and dataset version.
  • National statistical definitions (of agricultural land, farm, and employment) differ from those of other countries, limiting strict cross-country comparison.
  • A short frost-free season and the northern limit of cultivation constrain which systems the national aggregates represent.

Sources

This article draws on the following authoritative sources. See our sources & methodology for how they are selected.

  1. [1]World Bank Open Data — World Development Indicators (opens in a new tab)

    World Bank

    Authoritative

    Cited for: Agricultural statistics (WDI)

    Type:
    Intergovernmental organization
    Jurisdiction:
    Global
    Accessed:
    2026-07-12
  2. [2]FAO — Food and Agriculture Organization (opens in a new tab)

    Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO)

    Authoritative

    Cited for: Global production and food-systems context

    Type:
    Intergovernmental organization
    Jurisdiction:
    Global
    Accessed:
    2026-07-12
  3. [3]FAOSTAT — FAO statistical database (opens in a new tab)

    Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO)

    Authoritative

    Cited for: Production, area, and trade statistics

    Type:
    Intergovernmental organization
    Jurisdiction:
    Global
    Accessed:
    2026-07-12
  4. [4]USDA FAS — Foreign Agricultural Service (opens in a new tab)

    USDA Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS)

    Authoritative

    Cited for: International grain and oilseed trade estimates

    Type:
    Government agency
    Jurisdiction:
    Global (U.S. perspective)
    Accessed:
    2026-07-12