AgricultureID

Province · CA-ON

Ontario

Humid continental climate; the far south around Lakes Erie and Ontario has warm-to-hot summers moderated by the Great Lakes and a season long enough for full-season maize and soybean, grading to shorter, cooler seasons in the north.

Major crop systems

  • Grain corn (maize)
  • Soybean
  • Winter wheat
  • Hay and forages
  • Horticulture (apples, grapes/tender fruit, vegetables)

Major livestock systems

  • Dairy cattle (among the largest in Canada)
  • Poultry and eggs
  • Hogs and beef cattle

Agricultural land: The Great Lakes lowlands of southern Ontario hold the province’s most productive cropland and Canada’s most intensive horticulture (Niagara tender-fruit belt, Holland Marsh), supporting the country’s most diversified farm economy. Irrigation: Field crops are largely rainfed; irrigation is concentrated in high-value horticulture and the Niagara tender-fruit and vegetable areas.

Agroecological zones: Dfa (Hot-summer humid continental), Dfb (Warm-summer humid continental)

Documented crops & livestock

Official institutions

  • Statistics Canada — National statistical agency (Census of Agriculture, crop and livestock estimates).
  • Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC) — Federal agriculture department.
  • Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Agribusiness — Provincial agriculture ministry.

Data coverage & limitations

Descriptive profile; subnational statistics are published by Statistics Canada and Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada and are not reproduced numerically here.

  • Boundaries and administrative classification follow the official ISO 3166-2 system (CA-ON).
  • Any statistics from official bodies are dated and source-specific; none are reproduced here.
  • The dairy sector operates under Canada’s supply-management system.
  • Production is concentrated in the south; northern Ontario has a shorter, cooler season.

Sources

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

  1. [1]FAO — Food and Agriculture Organization (opens in a new tab)

    Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO)

    Authoritative

    Cited for: Crop and livestock system context

    Type:
    Intergovernmental organization
    Jurisdiction:
    Global
    Accessed:
    2026-07-12
  2. [2]FAOSTAT — FAO statistical database (opens in a new tab)

    Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO)

    Authoritative

    Cited for: National agricultural production context

    Type:
    Intergovernmental organization
    Jurisdiction:
    Global
    Accessed:
    2026-07-12