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Buy or rent? Land rent-to-price ratio can help farmers decide

FCC sees current ratios on farmland as (roughly) stable

Higher interest rates don’t seem to be affecting the ratio between land values and land rental costs — at least, not yet. Farm Credit Canada’s latest analysis of farmland rental prices says they’re roughly maintaining their traditional linkage, says J.P Gervais, the organization’s chief economist. “We were curious to see whether that would bring up […] Read more

(Dave Bedard photo)

Food sales grew but margins tightened in 2022, FCC says

Modest further growth expected this year

Food and beverages sales increased in Canada last year, even as margins hit an historic low and consumers chose Canadian less. According to the latest FCC Food and Beverage Report, released Tuesday, sales increased 11 per cent to $156 billion in 2022. These gains came largely from higher export values and strength in the grain […] Read more


“We have not yet seen the full impact of higher interest rates on the demand for farmland.” J.P. Gervais.  Graphic: Farm Credit Canada

Farmland values exceed expectations

Ontario leads the country with 19.4 per cent increase

Average farmland prices were up 12.8 per cent in Canada in 2022, the largest increase seen since 2014 when the increase was 14.3 per cent. The increase follows gains of 8.3 per cent in 2021 and 5.4 per cent in 2020. J.P. Gervais, FCC’s chief economist, said the numbers were a little bit of a […] Read more

(Screengrab from Merit Functional Foods video via YouTube)

Plant protein processor Merit Foods in receivership

Company owes $95 million to EDC, FCC

The company behind a new Prairie processing plant extracting plant-based proteins from peas and canola has landed in receivership, in the high eight figures’ debt to its secured lenders. PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) on Wednesday announced it’s the receiver for both Merit Functional Foods Corp. and the numbered company that owns Merit’s processing plant and property in […] Read more


Justine Hendricks, shown here in a 2019 video, is the new CEO of Farm Credit Canada. (Elevate International video screengrab video via YouTube)

EDC executive to lead Farm Credit Canada

Justine Hendricks to replace retiring Michael Hoffort

Canada’s federal farm lender is importing its next chief executive from Export Development Canada. Federal Agriculture Minister Marie-Claude Bibeau on Wednesday announced the appointment of Justine Hendricks, EDC’s senior vice-president and chief corporate sustainability officer since 2019, as FCC’s new CEO effective Jan. 30, 2023. As CEO, Hendricks replaces Michael Hoffort, an FCC staffer since […] Read more

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Farm equipment demand to remain high, FCC says

Low inventories, high commodity prices and a good crop place pressure on demand

Demand for farm equipment should remain high through 2023 despite higher interest rates and projected price increases, according to Farm Credit Canada. The federal ag lender has released an outlook on the farm equipment market that analyzed data and trends that affect the market. While the outlook attributes much of the current demand to relatively […] Read more


Farmers face a number of uncontrollable factors that can lead to high rates of depression, anxiety, even suicide. (Eclipse_images/E+/Getty Images)

Free mental health training, workshops offered for farmers

Do More Ag Foundation expands programming available

Farmers seeking mental health support will have access to free training and community workshops for the fourth year in a row via the Do More Agriculture Foundation (DMAF) and Farm Credit Canada (FCC). Factors such as financial insecurity, uncontrollable weather and isolating working conditions contribute to high depression, anxiety and suicide rates among farmers, according […] Read more



(Dave Bedard photo)

FCC offers sustainability incentive to beef producers

In a bid to boost sustainable beef production, the ag lender is presenting payments to its CRSB-certified customers

Cattle producers have a new partner in their sustainability drive. While momentum along the beef value chain has been steadily building since the creation of the Canadian Roundtable for Sustainable Beef (CRSB), a financial institution has now stepped up to encourage participation in the CRSB certification program. The concept is innovative and simple. Farm Credit […] Read more

(Dave Bedard photo)

Rate of rise in farmland value ‘surprised’ in 2021

Canada books 8.3 per cent year-over-year increase, FCC reports

MarketsFarm — Despite a year of economic uncertainty due to extreme weather, reduced crop yields and the COVID-19 pandemic, the value of Canadian farmland rose by its highest rate in four years, according to a report from Farm Credit Canada (FCC). FCC’s report, released Monday, revealed that the national average value of farmland increased by […] Read more