British Columbia鈥檚 farmers had their best year ever in 2016, according to industry statistics. The agri-food sector generated $13 billion in sales and $440 million in profits, both record numbers.
Dairy products topped the list, as they have done for decades. B.C. farms produced eggs, butter and milk worth nearly $700 million last year. But some unlikely commodities also played a part.
Farmed salmon (seafood is part of the agri-food sector) came in second, with sales of half a billion dollars. That鈥檚 a stunning result. Thirty years ago, salmon farming in our province brought in just $42 million.
Serious questions exist around the environmental impact of this industry. It has seen many setbacks and controversies. Yet it has climbed to second on the charts in just three decades 鈥� a clear indication that if this form of fish production can be made safe and secure, there is plenty of room to grow.
The same rapid expansion occurred in grape-growing and wine production. During the mid-1980s, B.C. had just 15 wineries. Today, there are 270, including 39 on 91原创 Island and the Gulf Islands. Together, they have sales approaching the $500-million mark.
Blueberry and cranberry harvests have soared, from sales of about $50 million three decades ago, to $180 million today. (All of these comparisons are in present-day dollars.)
Unfortunately, the good news isn鈥檛 universal. Sales of wild salmon are struggling, and the value of hog sales has fallen significantly. Wheat production is down. And surprisingly, given the whopping increase in beef prices over the past few years, cattle production has remained fairly constant.
The picture that emerges here is that much of the growth in the agri-food sector has occurred in niche markets and intensive, small-sized operations such as vineyards and berry fields. Meanwhile, traditional, large-scale farming has not done as well.
On south 91原创 Island, the number of big farms still in production has declined from perhaps 40 or 50 some years ago, to fewer than a dozen today.
Part of the reason is that as the current generation of landowners retires, younger families can鈥檛 afford to take over. The soaring price of land has become a major obstacle to keeping our farms alive.
It鈥檚 generally considered that field-crop production becomes uneconomical when land costs exceed $200,000 per hectare. But some farmland is selling for more than twice that amount.
Part of the problem might be that B.C. sets no limit on the amount of farmland foreign owners can purchase. In Alberta, offshore residents are prevented from owning more than eight hectares, and four in Saskatchewan.
The high cost of fuel and growing predation by wildlife are also obstacles to traditional farming. Vegetable-growers on the Saanich Peninsula say there is an expanding market for their product, but they cannot keep up. And this despite the fact large acreages are sitting fallow.
So yes, it鈥檚 good news that, overall, agri-food receipts and profits are up. But the shift in weight from traditional farming that preserved the countryside, toward small, limited-area operations should be a concern to all levels of government.
Both for reasons of food security, but also because of the higher quality that locally grown produce offers, there is a genuine interest in retaining long-established farm operations in our community.
It鈥檚 not enough to limit the expansion of our urban footprint into the countryside. Some cost obstacles must be removed.
Property taxes and fuel levies could be lowered, and the regulations that impede farm-gate operators should be scaled back.
This much is certain: Without firm and far-sighted action, a vital part of our rural economy is at risk.
