The Farm Financial Survey

Description: This biennial survey is carried out on a cost recovery basis for Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada. Major information collected is on farm assets, liabilities, income, expenses, capital investments and capital sales, as well as some information on non-farm finances.

Who/what is surveyed: Agricultural exploitations (farms)

How the data is collected: Computer-assisted telephone interviews

Geographic detail: Provinces

Information collected:

Capital investments and capital sales (land and buildings, breeding and replacement livestock, quota, farm machinery and equipment, other farm assets);
Assets, values at current market value –Current assets (market livestock, accounts receivable, inventory, cash and short-term investments, other);
Long-term assets (breeding and replacement livestock, farmland and buildings, machinery and equipment, quota, NISA account balances, long-term investments, other);
Liabilities outstanding and capital borrowed (current and long-term liabilities, capital borrowed for long-term loans, by lender);
Receipts and expenses; Total gross farm receipts, receipts by type (including direct program payments); total farm operating expenses, interest expenses and family wages from the farm; provincial crop insurance premiums and receipts (gross); NISA contributions and withdrawals;
Other information collected: farm operator characteristics; type of farm ownership; land use (owned, rented from/to others, operated); livestock and poultry owned, by type; Non-farm finances: income of operators and family members; interest/dividends; pensions; other

Frequency: Biennial

Sample size: 18,000 farms in 2000 and 1998; 12,000 farms in 1996 and 1994

Data availability: 1993-present

Reference period: Previous calendar year

Release dates: December

Response rates: 85%

What makes the data valuable: this survey is the only source for farm financial data at the level of detail available (e.g. by farm type, revenue class).

Related surveys or data: refer to the Whole Farm Data Base Reference Manual (Catalogue no. 21C0005GPE)

Products and services:
Farm Financial Survey publication (Catalogue no. 21F0008XIB, available for free at www.statcan.ca); special requests.

Responsible division: Agriculture