Quebec Agriculture

The first farm machine we saw in Quebec was one of these combines, pulling a flex head behind him.

August is prime time for agriculture in Quebec.  Fruits and vegetables are fresh and plentiful and the prices are not too bad at the farm or market.

On May 16, 2006, the Census of Agriculture counted 30,675 farms in Quebec, a 4.6% decrease during the past five years. This is slightly lower than the 7.1% decrease at the national level. On Census Day, there were 5,316 fewer farms in Quebec compared to 1996. A census farm is an agricultural operation that produces an agricultural product intended for sale.

Quebec accounted for 13.4% of Canada’s 229,373 farms in 2006, slightly higher than the share in 2001. Quebec’s total ranked 4th in Canada.

At the same time, Quebec reported 45,470 farm operators, a 4.1% decline from 2001.  I am sure the latest census will show more of the same, just like in the states.

Farm area

Farms in Quebec averaged 279 acres of land in 2006, up from 263 acres five years earlier.
Total area of land on farms in Quebec increased 1.3% between 2001 and 2006 to 8.6 million acres in 2006. It has about 5.1% of the total farm area in Canada.

Farmers reported 4.8 million acres of cropland in Quebec in 2006, up 4.5% from 2001. The province accounts for about 5.4% of all cropland area in the nation. Cropland is the total area in field crops, fruits, vegetables, sod and nursery.