Census of Agriculture, Profile for Alberta

Date Modified

2017-02-06

Update Frequency

Annual

Creator

Publisher

Agriculture and Forestry

Topic

Start Date

1991-01-01

End Date

2011-12-31

Spatial Coverage

Alberta

Date Created

2015-08-01

Date Added to catalogue

2015-12-22T19:26:19.164763

Date Issued

2015-09-01

Date Modified

2017-02-06

Usage Considerations

Alberta Agriculture Statistics - Census of Agriculture for Alberta is compiled by the Alberta Agriculture and Forestry, Statistics and Data Development Branch.

Data Source from Statistics Canada, Census of Agriculture, 1996-2011. This does not constitute an endorsement by Statistics Canada of this product. For more information visit the Statistics Canada web site at: www.statcan.gc.ca.

See Census of Agriculture - Notes: (1) Since 1996, a census farm has been defined as an agricultural operation producing at least one of the following products intended for sale: crops (field crops, tree fruits or nuts, berries or grapes, vegetables, seed); livestock (cattle, hogs, sheep, horses, exotic animals); poultry (hens, chickens, turkeys, exotic birds); animal products (milk, cream, eggs, wool, furs, meats); or other agricultural products (greenhouse or nursery products, Christmas trees, mushrooms, sod, honey and maple syrup). Farm operations producing only Christmas trees were included for the first time in the 1996 census. (2) Up to three operators can be reported per farm. As this is a count of distinct operators, operators of two or more separate farms are included only once. (3) Starting in 2001, a census farm is classified according to the predominant type of production. This is done by estimating the potential receipts from the inventories of crops and livestock reported on the questionnaire and determining the product or group of products that make up the majority of the estimated receipts. Farm types are derived based on the North American Industrial Classification System (NAICS). Prior to 2001, farms were classified based on the Standard Industrial Classifications (SIC), thus data for previous census years are not comparable. (4) In 1996, the name and definition of ""Tame or Seeded Pasture"" was changed from the previous census. In 1991, it was called ""Improved Land for Pasture or Grazing"". Consequently, some respondents may have reported differently in 1996 than in 1991, thereby affecting the comparability of 1996, 2001 and 2006 censuses with earlier censuses. (5) Starting 2006, Total Area of Farms is the sum of Area Owned, and Area Rented, Leased, Crop Shared or Used From Others, less Total Area of Land Used by Others. (6) The data for land management practices are reported for the year preceding the census year. Operators can apply insecticides and fungicides to the same land. Therefore, the sum of the responses to the two questions in 1996, 2001 and 2006 are not comparable to the response to the single 1991 question which asked for the total area on which insecticides or fungicides were used. The data, however, is still comparable to other years. (7) This information is new for 2011. (8) As the components of ""Other"" change from census to census, the data is not comparable between census years. (9) Since individual or family holdings were being over-reported in previous censuses, the order and wording of the questions on operating expenses were changed in 1996. While previous censuses asked if the operation was an ""individual or family holding"", starting with the 1996 Census this question was replaced with one asking if the operation was a ""sole proprietorship"". (10) In 1991, agricultural operators reported the value of farm machinery and equipment located on their operations on Census Day, regardless of ownership. Since the 1996 Census, operators have been asked to report the present market value of all farm machinery and equipment that they owned or leased on Census Day. This change in reporting limits comparability of these data. (11) This refers to gross farm receipts of the operation in the preceding calendar year. All values are in current dollars. Percentage changes are calculated based on current dollars. (12) This refers to the gross farm operating expenses of the operation in the preceding calendar year. All values are in current dollars. Percentage changes are calculated based on current dollars. (13) In 2001, the name and definition of ""Rent or Leasing Expenses"" was changed to ""Rental and Leasing of Land and Buildings"". This change limits the comparability of data from 2001 and on to data from previous censuses. (14) In 2001, the name and definition of ""Fuel, Oil and Lubricants for Machinery"" was changed to ""All Fuel Expenses"". This change limits the comparability of data from 2001 on to data from previous censuses. (15) In 2001, ""Custom Work and Contract Work"" and ""Rental and Leasing of Farm Machinery, Equipment, and Vehicles"" were classified as separate entities whereas in 1996, they were grouped together. This change limits the comparability of data from the 2001 to 2011 censuses with previous censuses. (16) Farm operators are defined by Statistics Canada as those persons responsible for the day-to-day management and/or financial decisions made in the operation of a farm or an agricultural operation. Operators can be owners, tenants or hired managers of the agricultural operation. This can include those responsible for management decisions pertinent to particular aspects of the farm, such as planting and harvesting, capital purchases, and marketing. An agricultural operation may have more than one operator, e.g. husband and wife; father and son; two brothers; father, son and wife; etc. Since 1991, the census form has enabled farmers to report up to three operators for each farm, which is why there are more operators than farms. This is a count of distinct operators; hence, operators of two or more separate farms were included only once in the total. (17) The application of the ""random rounding"" confidentiality procedure to data appearing in the farm operator tables has resulted in the following data inconsistencies: Since the totals in a table are randomly rounded independently of their component cell values, some differences may exist between the rounded totals and the sum of their rounded components. For example, the sum of the components of Total Number of Operators is not equal to the total. Similarly, percentage distributions, which are calculated based on rounded cell values, do not necessarily add up to 100%. Averages, however, are calculated based on unrounded data. Random rounding can significantly distort results for variables with small cell counts. Individual data cells containing small numbers may lose their precision as a result. Finally, minor differences can be expected in corresponding totals and cell values appearing in different tables. Random rounding may result in slightly different totals occurring in the tables in which the variable appears. (18) Due to changes to the question on average time contribution of non-farm work for 2001, caution should be used when comparing the data to 1996. The 1996 data exclude those operators who reported operating another business whereas 2001, 2006 and 2011 data include them.

Licence

Open Government Licence - Alberta

Contact Name

Open Government Program

Contact Email

open@gov.ab.ca