Quebec dominates organic farming growth in Canada

While organic acreage in Canada overall is slowing down, the province of Quebec increased organic acreage 65% between 2017 and 2019. Organic acres jumped from 314,000 to 570,000 during that period—a jump in organic livestock producers partially accounts for the increase. Quebec now represents over 40% of organic farmers countrywide, with 2,337 producers in 2019.

Saskatchewan organic acres dropped to 1.04 million from 1.16 million from 2017 to 2019.

Organic acreage across Canada grew from 3.3 to 3.4 million during those years—a slower expansion compared to the mid-2010s.

Quebec’s decision to pay farmers to convert to organic is driving the surge. Farmers are paid $40 per acre for grains and oilseeds, $1,000 per acre for fruits and vegetables, and $10 per acre for forage and grazing land. Quebec’s government also covers organic certification costs.

The province announced in 2018 a seven-year, $5 billion program to stimulate growth in the agri-food sector, including expansion of organic production. The Montreal Gazette reported in 2018, “Among the policy’s main goals are to increase sales of home-grown food products in Quebec by $10 billion and grow Quebec’s food exports by $6 billion by 2025.”

Source: The Western Producer

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