Here in PEI (eastern Canada) it's almost like watching the Titanic go down,she's already snapped,end's bobbing in the air and going down.
Thanks to supply management,dairy's holding up fairly well,so's poultry.Pork has basically dissapeared,there are a couple of producers left,but litterly only a few.Many beef procucers were waiting for the border to re-open from bse hoping for pre-bse beef prices,but it didn't happen.Border has been open for 2 years now and the price hasn't recovered what so ever.There are very few feedlots still left here in opperation.Potato's have been the driving force in the agricultural sector here for well over a century.The processors (McCain's and Cavendish) have made the potato industry strong as it was in the last couple of decades,but they can buy cheaper elsewhere and are quickly weeding out contracts.The open market (non-contracted potato's) has completely diminished in the last 5-10 years the market has become so tight.Not too many years ago,you could get as much as 5000 an acre for top land in several hundred acre sized fields,but you would be hard pressed to get over 1000-1500 an acre for the same land today.Poor land is all but un-saleable.Years ago,the small farms went out of business and the larger farms were in bidding wars for the land,but now the large farms are being reduced and the smaller ones are bing eliminated,so no-one has a use for the excess land being made available.
Is this the trend in your area,or have most sectors found a way to survive?I know dairy has had a very rough time in the US the last 18 months,maybe abit more.Seems the only expansion in these parts lately is with the wind farms.Thanks for anything to share.pd.
Thanks to supply management,dairy's holding up fairly well,so's poultry.Pork has basically dissapeared,there are a couple of producers left,but litterly only a few.Many beef procucers were waiting for the border to re-open from bse hoping for pre-bse beef prices,but it didn't happen.Border has been open for 2 years now and the price hasn't recovered what so ever.There are very few feedlots still left here in opperation.Potato's have been the driving force in the agricultural sector here for well over a century.The processors (McCain's and Cavendish) have made the potato industry strong as it was in the last couple of decades,but they can buy cheaper elsewhere and are quickly weeding out contracts.The open market (non-contracted potato's) has completely diminished in the last 5-10 years the market has become so tight.Not too many years ago,you could get as much as 5000 an acre for top land in several hundred acre sized fields,but you would be hard pressed to get over 1000-1500 an acre for the same land today.Poor land is all but un-saleable.Years ago,the small farms went out of business and the larger farms were in bidding wars for the land,but now the large farms are being reduced and the smaller ones are bing eliminated,so no-one has a use for the excess land being made available.
Is this the trend in your area,or have most sectors found a way to survive?I know dairy has had a very rough time in the US the last 18 months,maybe abit more.Seems the only expansion in these parts lately is with the wind farms.Thanks for anything to share.pd.