Ontario farmers are optimistic, Farm Credit survey says
REGINA Most Canadian farmers are optimistic about the future, according to a survey by Farm Credit Canada, the national lender of term loans to farmers. From results that were gathered up to the end of October, last year, the survey found 54 % of Canadian farmers are optimistic about the future, 30 % are cautious and 16 % are pessimistic. Ontario farmers are slightly more optimistic than the national average.
FCC mailed out almost 10,000 surveys to its contacts, which included producers and non-producers, as well as customers and non-customers. Of the 4,308 Canadians who responded, 692 were from Ontario. Heres what the survey found about Ontario farmers:
They were more likely to be optimistic about agriculture in 2008 (55%) than in 2007 (49 %).
17 % of Ontario farmers are pessimistic about the future.
Their top three challenges in agriculture are: rising input costs, making a profit and financing the farm.
They see the top four opportunities in farming as: public demand for new products, commodity prices, increase in demand for your products and ethanol/biofuel production.
52 % of Ontario farmers say their farm will be better off in five years from now and another 20 % say your farm or business will be "much better off."
66% would recommend a career in agriculture in 2008, compared to 59 % in 2007.
27 % plan to expand in the next five years.