Canadian Agriculture And Agri Food Industry Essay

In 2015, Canada’s natural resource exports were valued at $231 billion with Canada ranking among the top 3 producers globally for Potash (1st), uranium (2nd) and (3rd) aluminum (Government of Canada). An addition, is that the forest sector directly accounts for around 20% of the income in the 171 municipalities across Canada (Central Intelligence Agency). The 3 industry sectors, primary, secondary and tertiary all began from resources found and made from the country’s landscape. These resources are either sold primarily, or are then manufactured or turned into forms of services which result in trade. Therefore, the basic fundamental for any industry and trade is the landscape of the country.

Currently, Canada is economically heavily dependent on larger economic countries for research and development and new technologies. Canada also has always been dependent on the extraction of its primary products for export to other countries. "As far back as 1963 as much as sixty percent of the manufacturing industry was owned by firms whose head office lay outside the region or in foreign countries" (www.Statisticscanada/local/stateprov/ont.html. October 5, 2001).

The Ontario Dairy Herd Improvement Corporation, run by general manager John Meek, aims to improve the efficiency and profitability of dairy farming through an accurate, rapid, and cost effective milk testing service. Milk testing is an essential herd management component for all dairy processors as it measures the amount, quality and contents of the dairy products. Supply management agencies limit milk production; thus, profit is maximized through acquiring premiums from quality dairy with high levels of protein and butter fat as opposed to mass production and distribution. The dairy herd is the largest source of revenue for farmers, data from milk testing helps maximize milk production as farmers

In 1990, there were over 9300 dairy farms in Ontario housing almost 450,000 cows. The farm-gate value of milk produced exceeded 1.3 billion dollars. At the retail level, dairy product sales in Ontario exceeded 4 billion dollars. The number of dairy herds in Ontario on a milk-testing program had declined from about 7100 in 1985 to 6000 in 1990. Moreover, a continued decrease was projected.

The dairy industry is an integral part of Canadian agriculture. It is the third largest

The economy of the province of Ontario is the largest in Canada and is rich and diversified. Ontario’s main international export is from the automotive sector with more than 30 % of all its exports. Even though we rarely hear about it in the news; Ontario, of all Canadian provinces, also has the largest base of Office Furniture Manufacturers. Ontario also hosts many generic pharmaceutical companies and defense related industries.

Dairy farmers should make sure their businesses are in the right shape to seize the opportunities

A trip to any supermarket in Canada will reveal nothing out of ordinary, just the usual of array of fresh and packaged goods displayed in an inviting manner to attract customers. Everything appear familiar and reassuring, right? Think again. A closer microscopic inspection discloses something novel, a fundamental revolution in food technology. The technology is genetic engineering (GE), also known as biotechnology. Blue prints (DNA) of agricultural crops are altered and “spliced” with foreign genes to produce transgenic crops. Foods harvested from these agricultural plants are called, genetically modified (GM). Presently, Canada has no consumer notification; GM foods are being slipped to Canada’s foods without any labels or adequate risk

The government passes, enforces and dismantles laws. At the current state of Canada’s technology advancement, there are numerous changes that they can make in order to reduce the negative impact on our land, water and air. For land, the government can enforce green agricultural practices. Through integrated land and water management, the Canadian government can aid agriculture companies by preventing desertification. The government may also enforce the use of vegetative covers, mixed farming practices and appropriate agriculture processes for each ecosystem. The majority of all Canadian agriculture is practiced in the middle provinces: Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba.

* The truck transportation industry is a vital part of the Canadian economy with $43 billion in sales annually and employing 400,000 people

The dairy business is a major industry in Canada which operates under the supply management system. Whether supply management should be eliminated or not has become a long-term debate in recent years. The system is necessary in making Canada's dairy industry become stronger and more reliable. As supply management is discussed as a whole, identifying the main reasons and effects of keeping supply management will be focused on. Specifically, how supply management effects Canadian dairy farmers, the economy, and consumers .

Agriculture was the most important economic activity in America from the founding of Virginia in 1607 to about 1890. Although farming declined rapidly in relative economic importance in the twentieth century, U.S. agriculture continued to be the most efficient and productive in the world. Its success rested on abundant fertile soil, a moderate climate, the ease of private land ownership, growing markets for farm produce at home and abroad, and the application of science and technology to farm operations.

Brennan's Farm produces and sells milk. The market for milk is perfectly competitive. The market price of milk is $2.50 per gallon. The relationship between the farm's output and total costs is shown in the table above.

What skills do dairy farmers need to sustainably manage the opportunities along the dairy chain?

Figure 1: Almost half of the population works in agricultural sector (41.7%) in 2007. It is noted that the amount of workers in such sector clearly decreased from 2006 (63.3%)