ORGANICAGRICULTURE IN
THE PRAIRIES2015 STATISTICS
Report by the Canada Organic Trade Association
Authored by Jill Guerra
June 2017
TableofContents
ExecutiveSummary.......................................................................................................................2
OrganicOperationsinthePrairies................................................................................................4
PrimaryProducers......................................................................................................................4
ProcessorsandHandlers............................................................................................................5
OrganicAcreageinthePrairies.....................................................................................................7
FieldCrops..................................................................................................................................9
Cereals..................................................................................................................................10
Pulses....................................................................................................................................12
Oilseeds.................................................................................................................................13
FruitsandVegetables...............................................................................................................14
PastureandForage...................................................................................................................14
OtherAcreage...........................................................................................................................15
OrganicAgricultureinAlberta....................................................................................................16
OrganicAgricultureinSaskatchewan.........................................................................................18
OrganicAgricultureinManitoba.................................................................................................20
2
ExecutiveSummary
OrganicAgricultureinthePrairiesIn 2015, there were an estimated 1,499 certified organic operations in the Prairies, with over 60
operationsundergoingtransitiontoorganiccertification.Prairieoperationsaccountfornearly30%of
all organic operations across Canada, signifying the importance of the region in Canada’s organic
sector. The Prairies have significant production of organic grains and pulses, aswell as large areas
devotedtoorganicpastureandforagecrops.
QuickFacts
§ There are more certified organic operations in the Prairies than ever before, with 1,499
operationsacrossthePrairies.
§ Nearly30%ofCanadiancertifiedorganicoperationsandone-thirdoforganicproducersarein
thePrairies.
§ ThePrairiesarehometohalfofCanada’sorganicland,totalingto1.4millionacres.
§ Cereals (35%),andPasture&Foragecrops (46%)arethe largestsegmentsofPrairieorganic
lands.
§ 94%ofallorganicpulseacreageinCanadaisinthePrairies.
§ The number of organic processors has declined across Canada (-2.8%), including across the
Prairieprovinces.
PurposeThis is the second year that there has been a Prairie
organic report, responding to the demand for organic
sector information specific to the Prairie provinces.
Providing data and analysis allows for businesses to
proactivelyplan,takeadvantagesofopportunitiesaswell
asplan for supply changes.Havingaccess tobetterdata
supports policy and programming initiatives that aim to
develop, improve and grow the organic sector.
Additionally,itcanhelpinformtheallocationofresources
suchasfundingortechnicalassistancetoensurethatthe
supportisdistributedtothemostappropriateareasofthesector.
Whether the information is used for educational programs, supporting policy and programming
effortsorgeneralinterest,thisreportisausefulresourcefortheorganicsectorinthePrairies.Data
fromthisreportisusedbythePrairieOrganicGrainInitiativeandtheprovincialorganicassociations.
3
Asaresultofthisdatacollectionandanalysis,theprairieorganicsectorisbenefittinginthefollowing
ways:
§ Programming: Being a resilient and vibrant sector means being pro-active rather than
reactive.Knowinghowmanyfarmersare intransitionallowsprovincialassociationstoknow
wherethesectormaybeheadingandadjustprogramsaccordingly.
§ Businessplanning:Whenprovincialassociationscommunicate trends to theirmembers, the
data allows businesses in the organic sector to plan, take advantage of opportunities and
prepareforfuturechallenges.
§ Policywork:Thisreportsupportsengagementwiththegovernmentandpolicyasksthatrely
on an understanding of the current trends and opportunities within the organic sector.
Further,robuststatisticsshowthattheorganicsectorisawell-organized,professionalsectorthatshouldbeproperlysupported.
Datasource
This report isbasedondatacollectedandanalyzedannuallyby theCanadaOrganicTrade
Association (COTA). Organic certification bodies across Canada and the U.S. voluntarily
supply theoperationandacreagedata toCOTA.TheCanadianOrganicGrowerspreviously
compiledthedatawithCOTAtakingoverthedatacollectionresponsibilityin2013.
Reportnotes:
§ Incertaincases,percentagesbelow5%areexcludedfromchartsforvisualclarity.
§ Because only whole numbers are presented for the acreage data, roundingmay cause the
‘total’columnsnottoequaltheexactsumoftheindividualcolumns.
§ Acreagereferstolandareameasuredinacres.
COTAwouldliketosincerelythankallorganiccertificationbodiesandassociationsthat
providedthedatausedinthisanalysis.Theirvoluntaryparticipationplaysavaluablerolein
understandingandsupportingtheorganicsectorinthePrairiesandacrossCanada.
Abigthankyouto:CCOF
CCPBSRL
CentreforSystemsIntegration(CSI)
CertifiedOrganicAssociationofBC(COABC)
Ecocert
GlobalOrganicAlliance(GOA)
InternationalCertificationServicesInc.(ISC)
ManitobaOrganicAlliance
OregonTilth
OrganicAlberta
OrganicCropImprovementAssociation(OCIA)
OrganicProducersAssociationofManitoba(OPAM)
PacificAgriculturalCertificationService(PACS)
ProCertOrganic
QAI
SaskOrganics
TransCanadaOrganic(TCO)Cert
4
OrganicOperationsinthePrairies
In 2015, there were a total of 1,499 certified organic operations across the Prairie provinces,
representingnearly30%ofallCanadianoperations.MostofthePrairie’scertifiedoperationsare in
Saskatchewan(59%),followedbyAlberta(29%)andManitoba(12%).
Table1|OverviewofOrganicOperationsinthePrairies,2015
CertifiedPrimaryProducers
CertifiedLivestockOperations
CertifiedProcessors/Handlers
TotalCertifiedOrganic
Operations*In-transitionProducers**
Alberta 380 55 57 439 33
Saskatchewan 824 31 56 883 27
Manitoba 138 32 47 177 4
PrairieTotal 1,342 118 160 1,499 64* Note that total certified organic operations is not a sum of the other preceding columns as some operations fall into multiple
operationtypes(e.g.livestockandfieldcropproducers)
**Totalcertifiedorganicoperationsdoesnotinclude‘in-transitionproducers’
PrimaryProducers
Thenumberof certifiedorganic operations inCanadahas surpassed thepreviouspeakof 3,914 in
2009, reaching4,045producers in2015.Thenumberofprimaryproducers in thePrairieshasbeen
climbingsince2012,buthasnotyetexceeded1,610recordedin2009.Thissuggeststhatthegrowth
inthenumberoforganicproducersinthePrairiesisnotadvancingatthesamerateasotherregions
ofthecountry,confirmedbythedeclineinPrairietotalasapercentageoftheCanadiantotal.
Table2|PrimaryProducersofOrganicsinthePrairies,2009-2015 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015
PrairieTotal 1,610 1,371 1,339 1,229 1,151 1,281 1,342
CanadianTotal 3,914 3,732 3,694 3,590 3,513 3,780 4,045
%ofCdnTotal 41.13% 36.74% 36.25% 34.23% 32.76% 33.89% 33.18%
The distribution of producers across the Prairie provinces has remained stable over the years.
However,in2015,Albertahadanotableincreaseinproducersrelativetotheotherprovinceswith75
additionalproducerscomparedwith2014.Manitobaadded4newproducerswhileSaskatchewan’s
totalproducersdeclined.ThisrepresentsashifttoaslightlyhigherproportionofproducersinAlberta
comparedtotheotherPrairieprovinces.
5
319
275
291
266
263
305
380
1123
938
914
832
764
842
824
168
158
134
131
124
134
138
2009
2010
2011
2012
2013
2014
2015 Alberta
Saskatchewan
Manitoba
Figure1|NumberofCertifiedPrimaryProducersinthePrairies2009-2015
Source:CanadianOrganicGrowers;CanadaOrganicTradeAssociation
ProcessorsandHandlers
Organic processors and handlers refer to a spectrumof organic operations, includingmillers, seed
cleaners, abattoirs, brokers/buyers, truckers, baggers and packagers. According to COTA data, the
numberofprocessorsandhandlersdeclinedslightly in2015,nationally.Thistrendalsoappearedin
thePrairieswithalossof65processorsbetween2014and2015.Thedeclinewasmostprominentin
Saskatchewan, but all provinces similarly showed declines. It is possible that this decline may be
attributedtooperationswhoswitchedCertificationBodiesduringthedatacollectionperiodandwere
thusmissedwithin the analysis. Because of this possibility, the results from the 2016 datawill be
monitoredtoseewhetherthedeclineisadatacollectionissueoranactualtrend.
Table3|NumberofOrganicProcessorsandHandlers*inthePrairies,2009-2015 2009 2010 2011** 2012 2013 2014 2015
PrairieTotal 205 186 n/a 171 181 225 160CdnTotal 1,195 1,115 993 1,237 1,446 1,581 1,538%ofCdnTotal 17.15% 16.68% n/a 13.82% 12.52% 14.23% 10.40%
*Thistableandsubsequentgraphpertaintoprocessorsacrossthewholespectrumoforganics,includingmillers,seedcleaners,
abattoirs,broker/buyers,truckers,baggers,andpackagers.
**NodatafororganicprocessorsandhandlersoperatinginthePrairiesfor2011wasfound.
6
Figure2|NumberofOrganicProcessorsandHandlersinthePrairies,2009-2015
Source:CanadianOrganicGrowers;CanadaOrganicTradeAssociation
*NodatafororganicprocessorsandhandlersoperatinginthePrairiesfor2011isavailable.
Table4|BreakdownofCertifiedOrganicOperations,2014-2015
TotalCertifiedCrop/LivestockOperations
TotalCertifiedProcessorsTotalInvolvedinboth
ProcessingandProducing
2014 2015 2014 2015 2014 2015
Alberta 311 380 80 57 21 10Saskatchewan 843 824 89 56 8 7Manitoba 134 138 54 47 10 9
Alongwiththedeclineinprocessors,therewasaslightdecreaseinthoseoperationsinvolvedinboth
processingandproducing.Thisdeclinewasmostprominent inAlberta,whereasSaskatchewanand
Manitobaonlyreportedonelessthan2014.
70
74
76
73
82
57
96
75
67
64
89
56
39
37
28
44
54
47
2009
2010
2012
2013
2014
2015
Alberta
Saskatchewan
Manitoba
7
Figure3|OverviewofOperationTypes,2014-2015
Producers Processors Producer&Processor
Source:CanadaOrganicTradeAssociation
OrganicAcreageinthePrairies
Prairieorganicacreagereached1.41millionin2015,accountingforhalfofCanada’scertifiedorganic
acreage. Since 2009, acreage in this region has remained stablewith a slight peak in 2013of 1.44
millionacres.TotalacreageinthePrairieshasdecreasedslightlysince2014.Thegreatestdeclinewas
inthepastureandforagecategories,whilefruitandvegetableacreagemorethanquadrupledwithan
additionof9,000acres.
Table5|OrganicAcreageinthePrairies,2009-2015 2009 2010* 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015
PrairieTotal 1,424,892 1,323,351 1,366,000 1,230,824 1,440,382 1,419,568 1,410,435
CdnTotal 1,738,825 1,738,825 2,078,688 2,060,568 2,147,934 2,357,197 2,433,602
%ofCdnTotal 82% 76% 66% 60% 67% 60% 58%*Estimatesofacreagewererequiredfor2010,asacreagefromonlyafractionofproducerswasrecorded.Also,aCanadiantotalwas
alsonotreportedfor2010
305
842
134
380
824
138
AB SK MB
2014
2015
80
89
54
57
56
47
AB SK MB
21
8 10
10
7 9
AB SK MB
8
Figure4|OrganicAcreageinthePrairiesbyProvinceandasaPortionoftheCanadianTotal,2009-2015
Source:CanadianOrganicGrowers;CanadaOrganicTradeAssociation
*Estimatesofacreagewererequiredfor2010,asacreagefromonlyafractionofproducerswasrecorded.Also,aCanadian
totalwasalsonotreportedfor2010.
The totalorganic landbase remains largelyunchangedin thePrairies; therehasbeena lossof less
than1%oflandsince2014,alongwitha5%increaseinthenumberofproducers.Saskatchewanand
Manitoba had reported increases in acreage between 2014 and 2015,while Alberta’s organic land
basedecreased.
Saskatchewanhas themost certified organic acreagewith over 25,000 acres addedbetween 2014
and2015.Manitobaacreagegrewslightly.AlthoughoverallAlbertasawalossofabout15,000acres,
thisisprimarilyduetoa40,000+acrelossinthegrassandnaturalareascategory.Thislossisoffsetby
a3-foldincreaseinvegetableacreageanda17%increaseinfieldcropacreage.
Nearly half of the Prairie organic landscape is used for field crops, themajority being cereals like
wheatandoats.Pastureandforageoccupyaboutathirdofthelandscapefollowedbynon-fieldcrops
such as greenmanures and fallow land. The largest sub-category of organic land use in Alberta is
pasture,whileinbothSaskatchewanandManitobaitiscereals.
334 294 326 364 361 462 426
987920
940781 1,023
873893
104
109
100
86
5784 92
83%
77%
81%
61%
62%60%
58%
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
90%
0
200
400
600
800
1,000
1,200
1,400
1,600
2009 2010* 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015
Thousands
Alberta Saskatchewan Manitoba %ofCanadianTotal
9
Table6|CertifiedOrganicAcresbyCategory,2015
LandUseCategory AB SK MB PrairieTotal
FieldCrops Cereals(Barley,buckwheat,kamut,mixedgrain,oats,rye,wheat,othercereals)
113,500 361,884 24,989 500,373
Pulses(Beans,legumes,lentils,peas,otherpulses)
17,599 68,159 2,780 88,538
Oilseeds(Canola,flax,hemp,mustard,soybeans,
otheroilseeds)
6,733 60,522 6,791 74,047
OtherFieldCrops(Fieldcrops(nodetails),otherfieldcrops)
109 1,477 10 1,596
Pasture&Forage
Pasture(Pastureandmeadows)
172,964 88,317 17,417 278,699
Forage(Alfalfaandalfalfamixtures,other
foragecrops)
73,957 126,196 21,303 221,456
Fruits&Vegetables 6,356 4,454 833 11,643Other Non-FieldCrops
(Fallowland,greenmanures,manures,
wildcrafting,wildriceandbush)
28,010 159,088 15,150 202,248
Grass&NaturalAreas(Grass,grassland,naturalareas,ecologicalareas)
6,427 23,062 2,344 31,833
TOTAL 425,656 893,161 91,618 1,410,435*Subcategories-inbrackets-areonlybrokenoutwithinthereportforcereals,pulsesandoilseeds.
FieldCrops
Cereals are the largest subcategory of field crops in the Prairies (75%) and are mostly located in
Saskatchewan (72%). Manitoba has the lowest total field crop acreage but a relatively greater
proportionoforganicland(20%)dedicatedtooilseedscomparedtoAlberta(<5%)andSaskatchewan
(<2%).
10
Figure5|FieldCropAcreageBreakdowninthePrairies,2015
Source:CanadaOrganicTradeAssociation
Figure6|FieldCropAcreageBreakdowninthePrairies,2015
Source:CanadaOrganicTradeAssociation
The following three sections provide greater details on the sub-categories of field crops: cereals,
pulsesandoilseeds.
Cereals
WheatisthelargestcategoryoforganiccerealsacrossthePrairies,accountingfor46%ofallorganic
cerealacreage.Wheatacreageexpandedbyabout20,000acresbetween2014and2015.Similarly,
oat acreage also increased by 20,000 acres and remains at approximately 30% of organic cereal
acreageintheregion.Manyoftheothercategories(e.g.,barley,buckwheat,kamutandmixedgrain)
declinedslightlybetween2014and2015.
0
100
200
300
400
500
Cereals Pulses Oilseeds OtherFieldCrops
Thousands
AB
SK
MB
PrairieTotal
82%
74%
72%
13%
14%
8%
5%
12%
20%
AB
SK
MB
Cereals Pulses Oilseeds OtherFieldCrops
11
Table7|AcreageDevotedtoCereals,2015
AB SK MB PrairieTotalBarley 18,415 33,218 2,582 54,215Buckwheat 63 567 319 949Kamut 1,760 27,698 - 29,458MixedGrain 735 100 1,739 2,574Oats 46,014 102,301 5,129 153,444Rye 2,032 17,239 3,509 22,780Wheat 43,712 174,633 11,029 229,374
OtherCereals 769 6,128 682 7,579
TOTAL 113,500 361,884 24,989 500,373
Figure7|PulseAcreage,2015
Source:CanadaOrganicTradeAssociation
*Duetospace,‘Other’includesBuckwheat,MixedGrains,Cereals(nodetails)andOtherCerealsfromTable7above.
16%
9%
10%
8%
41%
28%
21%
5%
14%
39%
48%
44% 11%
AB
SK
MB
Barley Kamut Oats Rye Wheat Other
Figure6|CerealAcreage,2015
Source:CanadaOrganicTradeAssociation
0
50
100
150
200
Barley Buckwheat Kamut MixedGrain Oats Rye Wheat OtherCereals
Thousands
AB
SK
MB
PrairieTotal
12
Pulses
Nearly all (94%) certified organic pulses are produced in the Prairies. Of the Prairie organic pulse
acreage,77% is inSaskatchewan.Organic fieldpeas (i.e.not freshpeas)occupyhalfof theorganic
pulseareasinthePrairies.In2015,organicpulseacreageexpandedbyapproximately13,000acres–
mostlyinSaskatchewan.
Table8|AcreageDevotedtoPulses,2015
AB SK MB PrairieTotal
Beans 458 191 387 1,036Lentils 974 27,437 650 29,061
Peas 14,782 27,796 1,306 43,885
OtherPulsesandProteinCrops 1385 12,735 437 14,557TOTAL 17,599 68,159 2,780 88,538
Figure8|PulseAcreage,2015
Source:CanadaOrganicTradeAssociation
-
10
20
30
40
50
Beans Lentils Peas OtherPulsesandProtein
Crops
Thousands
AB
SK
MB
PrairieTotal
13
Figure9|ProportionalPulseAcreage,2015
Source:CanadaOrganicTradeAssociation
Oilseeds
Saskatchewangrows82%of thePrairies’organicoilseedacreage.Three-quartersoforganicoilseed
acreageinthePrairiesisforflaxseed.ThisisduemainlytothelargerareasinSaskatchewandedicated
toflaxproduction.AlthoughSaskatchewanandAlbertahavesimilaracreagedevotedtohemp,hemp
productionisamuchgreaterproportionofAlberta’sorganicoilseedacreage(36%).
14%
6%
40%
23%
84%
41%
47%
8%
19%
16%
AB
SK
MB
Beans Lentils Peas OtherPulsesandProteinCrops
Table9|AcreageDevotedtoOilseedsin,2015 AB SK MB PrairieTotalCanola 220 20 - 240
Flax 3,429 48,508 3,249 55,187Hemp 2,428 2,285 267 4,980Mustard 160 8,386 1,473 10,019Soybeans - 1,065 1,339 2,404OtherOilseeds 496 258 463 1,217
TOTAL 6,733 60,522 6,791 74,047
14
Figure10|OilseedAcreage,2015
Source:CanadaOrganicTradeAssociation
Figure11|ProportionalOilseedAcreage,2015
Source:CanadaOrganicTradeAssociation
FruitsandVegetables
Vegetable acreage in the Prairies is nearly three times higher than
2014,increasingfrom4,771toover11,000.Vegetablesremainasmall
portionoforganicacreage intheprairiesbutthissubstantial increase
deserves attention in subsequent data analyses to see whether the
trendcontinues.
Fruitscontinuetobeaverymarginalareaoforganiclands,likelydueto
climaticbarriers.
-
10
20
30
40
50
60
Canola Flax Hemp Mustard Soybeans OtherOilseeds
Thousands
AB
SK
MB
PrairieTotal
3% 51%
80%
48%
36%
4%
4%
14%
22% 20%
7%
7%
AB
SK
MB
Canola Flax Hemp Mustard Soybeans OtherOilseeds
15
PastureandForage
Pasture and forage acreage is nearly split between Alberta and Saskatchewan, with a smaller
proportion(about40,000acres)inManitoba.
Asa resultof the format thatCOTAreceivesdata, thereare likelysome inconsistencies in thedata
year-to-year, particularly in the pasture and forage, and other non-field crop categories. This is
because some certification body data uses broader categories that encompassmultiple categories
reportedhere,andthusrequirere-categorizationwhenaggregatingthedata.
OtherNon-FieldCropAcreage
Otheracreageincludesbothnon-fieldcropsandgrassandnaturalareas.Therearedifficultiesinyear-
to-yearconsistencywiththeothernon-fieldcropacreageasmanyofthesecategoriesarechallenging
todelineate,andduetothenatureoffarming(e.g.,croprotation)landusecanchangeoften.
Oneexampleofthisissueistryingtocategorizegreenmanures.Iffarmersplantfieldcropsandgreen
manuresinthesamefield(intercropping)itmayonlybereportedasfieldcropacreagedespitehaving
greenmanuresaswell.Additionally,occasionallyafieldwasintendedforfieldcrops,butapooryield
ledafarmertoplowitunder(i.e.greenmanure)instead.Thesenuancesrevealoneofthedifficulties
withquantifyingorganicacreages.
Table10|FruitandVegetableAcreage,2015
AB SK MB PrairieTotalFruit&Vegetables 6,356 4,454 833 11,643
Table11|PastureandForageAcreageinthePrairies,2015
AB SK MB PrairieTotalPasture&Meadows
Pasture 127,176 86,541 16,691 230,409Meadows 45,788 1,776 726 48,290
Forage
Alfalfaandalfalfa
mixtures 21,634 33,520 8,745 63,899Otherforagecrops
(hay,clover&others) 52,323 92,676 12,559 157,557TOTAL 246,922 214,513 38,720 500,155
16
With these issues inmind, according to the categories defined by COTA, non-field crop acreage is
mostlywithin Saskatchewan (71%)and ispredominantly fallow land.Grassandnatural areasarea
smallportionoftheothernon-fieldcropacreage(16%),butareagainconcentratedinSaskatchewan
(72%).
Table12|OtherNon-FieldCropAcreageinthePrairies,2015
AB SK MB PrairieTotalNon-FieldCrops(fallowland,greenmanures,manures,wildcrafting,wildriceandbush)
28,011 159,088 15,150 202,248
Grass&NaturalAreas(grass,grassland,naturalareas,ecologicalareas)
6,427 23,062 2,344 31,833
TOTAL 34,438 182,150 17,494 234,082
17
OrganicAgricultureinAlberta
Albertashoweda20%increaseoftotalorganicoperatorsbetween2014and2015,bringingthetotal
to439.Whilethenumberoflivestockoperatorsandprocessors/handlersdeclinedslightly,therewas
significantgrowthinfieldcropproducers.
Overall,Albertahadaslightdeclineinorganicacreage,reporting425,656acresin2015.Thiswasdue
toalossofover40,000acresinthegrassandnaturalareascategory.Thisalignswiththedeclinein
livestockoperations,whereadecreaseinafewoperationsmayresultinthelossoflargeexpansesof
grasslandsandpastureareas.Onapositivenote,fieldcropacreageincreasedbynearly20,000likely
relatedtothe increase innumberofproducers.Mostofthis increasewas intheMackenzieCounty
regionofAlberta,wheretherearemanyproducerstransitioningintoorganicgrainproduction.Fruit
andvegetableacreagealsoincreasedandissignificantlyhigherthan2014.
Table13|OverviewofCertifiedOrganicOperationsinAlberta,2014-2015
PrimaryProducers LivestockOperations Processors/HandlersTotalOrganic
Operations
2014 2015 2014 2015 2014 2015 2014 2015
Alberta 305 380 64 55 80 57 365 439
PrairieTotal 1,288 1,342 128 118 223 160 1,466 1,499
*Totalorganicoperationsisnotasumoftheotherprecedingcolumnsassomeoperationsfallintomultipleoperationtypes
Figure12|OrganicOperationsinAlberta,2014-2015
Source:CanadaOrganicTradeAssociation
305
64
80
365
380
55
57
439
Producers Livestock
Operations
Processors/
Handlers
TotalOrganic
Operations
2014
2015
18
Table14|AlbertaAcreageBreakdown,2014-2015
2014 2015
FieldCrops 117,241 137,941
Cereals 93,761 113,500
Barley 14,916 18,415
Buckwheat 34 63
Kamut 2,443 1,760
MixedGrain 550 735
Oats 40,377 46,014
Rye 1,846 2,032
Wheat 31,598 43,712
OtherCereals 1,997 769
Pulses 15,964 17,599
Beans 1,141 458
Lentils 860 974
Peas 13,958 14,782
OtherPulses 5 1385
Oilseeds 4,646 6,733
Canola 670 220
Flax 2,088 3,429
Hemp 1,673 2,428
Mustard 70 160
Soybeans 33 -
OtherOilseeds 112 496
OtherFieldCrops 2,870 109
Pasture&Forage 244,793 246,922
Pasture&Meadows 177,509 172,964
Forage 67,284 73,957
Fruits&Vegetables 1,632 6,356
Other 78,060 34,438
Non-FieldCrops 16,556 28,011
Grass&NaturalAreas 61,505 6,427
GRANDTOTAL 441,727 425,656
19
OrganicAgricultureinSaskatchewan
Saskatchewanhas thegreatestnumberoforganicoperations in thePrairies,however thenumbers
fell from 923 in 2014 to 883 in 2015. This decline occurred for primary producers as well as
processors,butlivestockoperationsincreasedslightly.
Certified organic acreage in Saskatchewan increased by 25,000 acres in 2015. Pasture and forage
cropsincreasedby15,000acres.Giventhattherearemorelivestockproducers,itmakessensethat
thiscategorygrew.Thelossofsomecertifiedcropproducersiscapturedintheslightdeclineinfield
cropacreage.SimilartoAlberta,Saskatchewan’svegetableacreageisfivetimeslargerthan2014.
Table15|OverviewofCertifiedOrganicOperationsinSaskatchewan,2014-2015
PrimaryProducers LivestockOperationsProcessors/
Handlers
TotalOrganic
Operations
2014 2015 2014 2015 2014 2015 2014 2015
Saskatchewan 843 824 28 31 89 56 923 883
PrairieTotal 1,288 1,342 128 118 223 160 1,466 1,499
*Notethattotalcertifiedorganicoperationsisnotasumoftheotherprecedingcolumnsassomeoperationsfallintomultiple
operationtypes(e.g.livestockandfieldcropproducers).
Figure13|OrganicOperationsinSaskatchewan,2014-2015
Source:CanadaOrganicTradeAssociation
842
28
89
923
824
31
56
883
Producers Livestock
Operations
Processors/
Handlers
TotalOrganic
Operations
2014
2015
20
Table16|SaskatchewanAcreageBreakdown,2014-2015
2014 2015
FieldCrops 499,982 492,043
Cereals 357,225 361,884
Barley 44,485 33,218
Buckwheat 756 567
Kamut 31,288 27,698
MixedGrain 2,397 100
Oats 89,664 102,301
Rye 17,858 17,239
Wheat 163,850 174,633
OtherCereals 6,927 6,128
Pulses 55,186 68,159
Beans 1,280 191
Lentils 26,682 27,437
Peas 25,708 27,796
OtherPulses 1,517 12,735
Oilseeds 81,033 60,522
Canola 813 20
Flax 41,452 48,508
Hemp 3,314 2,285
Mustard 34,211 8,386
Soybeans 735 1,065
OtherOilseeds 508 258
OtherFieldCrops 6,538 1,477
Pasture&Forage 199,255 214,513
Pasture&Meadows 105,620 88,317
Forage 93,635 126,196
Fruits&Vegetables 714 4,454
Other 168,141 182,150
Non-FieldCrops 105,164 159,088
Grass&NaturalAreas 62,977 23,062
GRANDTOTAL 868,092 893,160
21
OrganicAgricultureinManitoba
Manitoba had a similar number of organic operations in 2014 and 2015. This suggests some
maintenance of the number of operations, however there is likely an ebb and flow of producers
dropping certification and others joining each year. Overall, therewas a slight increase in primary
producersandadecreaseinprocessors.
Certifiedorganicacreageincreasedbynearly10,000withthemostgainsmadeinfieldcropandother
non-fieldcropacreage.Wheatandgreenmanureacreagewassignificantlyexpanded,whilepasture
andalfalfaacreagenotablydecreased.
Table17|OverviewofCertifiedOrganicOperationsinManitoba,2014-2015
PrimaryProducers LivestockOperations Processors/HandlersTotalOrganic
Operations
2014 2015 2014 2015 2014 2015 2014 2015
Manitoba 134 138 36 32 54 47 178 177
PrairieTotal 1,288 1,342 128 118 223 160 1,466 1,499
*Notethattotalcertifiedorganicoperationsisnotasumoftheotherprecedingcolumnsassomeoperationsfallintomultiple
operationtypes(e.g.livestockandfieldcropproducers).
Figure14|OrganicOperationsinManitoba,2014-2015
Source:CanadaOrganicTradeAssociation
134
36
54
178
138
32
47
177
Producers Livestock
Operations
Processors/
Handlers
TotalOrganic
Operations
2014
2015
22
Table18|ManitobaAcreageBreakdown,2014-2015
2014 2015
FieldCrops 29,711 34,570
Cereals 22,766 24,989
Barley 1,964 2,582
Buckwheat 272 319
Kamut - -
MixedGrain 501 1,739
Oats 6,632 5,129
Rye 2,991 3,509
Wheat 9,700 11,029
OtherCereals 706 682
Pulses 2,913 2,780
Beans 471 387
Lentils 80 650
Peas 1,708 1,306
OtherPulses 654 437
Oilseeds 2,879 6,791
Canola - -
Flax 2,221 3,249
Hemp 140 267
Mustard 50 1,473
Soybeans 295 1,339
OtherOilseeds 173 463
OtherFieldCrops 1,153 10
Pasture&Forage 36,087 38,720
Pasture&Meadows 17,475 17,417
Forage 18,612 21,303
Fruits&Vegetables 2,424 833
Other 13,894 17,494
Non-FieldCrops 11,592 15,150
Grass&NaturalAreas 2,302 2,344
GRANDTOTAL 82,117 91,618