Did you know February 23rd is officially Canada’s Agriculture Day? It’s a time to celebrate the food we all love. But this year, more than ever, it’s a time to raise a fork to the hard-working farmers who have displayed incredible resilience under the stress of the pandemic, as they continue to put food on our collective table.
Even more impressive, home-grown agricultural exports have hit record levels during these turbulent times.
Let’s look at the numbers. Driven by foreign countries grappling with food security concerns, our spring 2020 exports of bulk grains, oilseeds (like canola) and pulses (like beans and lentils) were up 29 per cent over the previous year. Canola from Manitoba and Saskatchewan was a star commodity, with exports jumping 37 per cent in the first eight months of last year. Even during a time of unprecedented disruption, Canada produced more food than we could consume domestically.
The takeaway? Our hard-working farmers aren’t just feeding Canadians; they’re feeding the world. And global markets want more of what we have to offer. That growing demand has emerged through the storm of the pandemic as a beacon of light.
Behind the scenes, precision agriculture platforms are supporting this opportunity by boosting efficiency and maximizing crop yield. With farmers able to hold huge amounts of field data in the palm of their hand, they can make smarter operating decisions every step of the way — from spring planting, right through the growing season to fall harvest. For instance, these tools allow farmers to manage where higher seeding or fertilizer rates are needed in their field. Digital ag platforms also allow farmers to share their field data with advisors at the touch of a button, so they can connect virtually whenever key decisions need to be made. It’s the Brave New World of agriculture, and Canadian farmers are embracing it.
It’s also great to see Canadians working together — across provincial borders — to get our farmed commodities to market. The interconnected nature of our industry can’t be emphasized enough. Prairie canola is land-locked without access to tidewater. Alberta barley feeds cattle on the west coast. The list of examples goes on. Throughout the pandemic, Canadian kindness, cooperation and compassion has been at its best.
City dwellers may live far from the nearest farm. But consumers are becoming increasingly curious about where their food comes from, and how it’s grown. I believe education, made possible by events just like this, are a great way to close that gap.
So, to all our Prairie farmers — and to all the suppliers, processors, shippers and advisors that contribute to their success — happy #CdnAgDay!
Andria Karstens is a Climate Corporation Field Product Specialist for Western Canada, based in Saskatoon. She grew up on a farm in Wilkie, Saskatchewan.
