ORGANIC

AGRICULTURE IN
THE PRAIRIES
Report by: Jill Guerra, Canada Organic Trade Association
May 2018

This report was created by the Canada Organic Trade Association and commissioned by the Prairie
Organic Grain Initiative. All figures reported are best estimates using data provided by organic
Certification Bodies.

CANADA ORGANIC TRADE ASSOCIATION

The Canada Organic Trade Association (COTA) is the membership-
based trade association for the organic sector in Canada, representing
growers, shippers, processors, certifiers, farmers associations,
distributors, consultants, retailers and all points along the organic value chain. COTA promotes and
protects the growth of organics to benefit the environment, farmers, the public and the economy.
www.canada-organic.ca

PRAIRIE ORGANIC GRAIN INITIATIVE

The Prairie Organic Grains Initiative is a four-year program dedicated to
achieving resiliency and stability in the prairie organic sector by focusing
on increasing the quantity and quality of organic grains, and developing
relationships across organic market value chains. The Prairie Organic Grain Initiative has strategic
partnerships with the three prairie provincial organic associations: Organic Alberta, SaskOrganics and
Manitoba Organic Alliance.
TABLE OF CONTENTS

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY .......................................................................................................................3

KEY FINDINGS ...................................................................................................................................3
PURPOSE............................................................................................................................................3
METHODOLOGY ................................................................................................................................3
ORGANIC OPERATIONS IN THE PRAIRIES ........................................................................................5
CROP PRODUCERS ............................................................................................................................5
PROCESSORS, HANDLERS, AND MORE ............................................................................................6
LIVESTOCK ........................................................................................................................................7
ORGANIC ACREAGE ............................................................................................................................7
OVERVIEW.........................................................................................................................................7
FIELD CROPS: CEREALS ....................................................................................................................9
FIELD CROPS: PULSES .....................................................................................................................10
FIELD CROPS: OILSEEDS .................................................................................................................11
FIELD CROPS: OTHER .....................................................................................................................11
PASTURE, FORAGE, AND NATURAL AREAS ...................................................................................12
FRUITS AND VEGETABLES ..............................................................................................................12
ALBERTA ............................................................................................................................................13
SASKATCHEWAN ...............................................................................................................................14
MANITOBA .........................................................................................................................................15

2
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

KEY FINDINGS

It took the better part of a decade for Prairie organic agriculture to recover from the impacts of the 2008-
9 recession but in 2016, the Prairie region made strong gains in organic acreage and operator numbers.
The Prairies remain home to over half of Canada s organic farmland and a growing share of the nation s
organic operations. These are signs of a healthy and growing organic sector.

Quick Facts
§ The number of certified operations in the Prairies reached a new milestone of 1,632 in 2016
§ Organic acreage expanded from 1.4 to 1.6 million between 2015 and 2016
§ The Prairies are home to over half of Canada s certified farmland; however, this proportion is
on the decline
§ The number of certified crop producers is the highest it s been since 2010, at 1,442
§ The proportion of Canadian organic crop producers in the Prairies has increased slightly to 35%
§ Alberta had the greatest increase in crop producers in the country, recording an additional 70
producers in 2016
§ Despite more stagnant crop producer numbers, both Saskatchewan and Manitoba organic
farmland expanded by 20%
§ Livestock operations have grown from 118 to 132 in the Prairies

PURPOSE

The third-annual edition of this report has been created in response to the demand for organic sector
information specific to the Prairie provinces. Providing data and analysis allows for businesses to
proactively plan, take advantage of opportunities, and anticipate supply changes. Having access to better
data supports policy and programming that facilitates development and growth in the organic sector. It
can also help inform the allocation of resources such as funding or technical assistance to ensure that
support is appropriately targeted.

Whether the information is used for educational programs, supporting policy and programming efforts,
or for private sector business planning, this report is a useful resource for the organic sector in the
Prairies. Data from this report is used by the Prairie Organic Grain Initiative and the provincial organic
associations. As a result of this data collection and analysis, the prairie organic sector will be better set
for successful programming, business planning and policy work.

METHODOLOGY

Organic Certification Bodies (CB) across Canada and the U.S. voluntarily supply the operation and
acreage data to COTA for analysis and release. While the data submitted becomes more robust year over
year, it can still vary in detail, categorization, and delivery format. For this reason, the numbers
presented in this report represent a best estimate using the data provided. Ongoing efforts are in place
to streamline and facilitate the data collection process and improve the quality and breadth of the data
collected.

3
In an effort to better represent organic acreage, 2015 acreage categories have been revised following
consultations with experts in organic production. The revised categories are presented in this report.
Due to these changes, only 2015 and 2016 data can be presented in most cases. Comparisons with
historical reports may thus show some discrepancies across categories.

Analysis Notes
§ All numbers presented are best estimates using data provided
§ Acreage refers to land measured in acres
§ This analysis only includes operations and acreage that are certified organic, as per the
Canadian Organic Regime
§ Acreage and operators in transition are not included, as it is nearly impossible to track;
regulations require operators to be under the supervision of a certification body only in the last
15 months of transition
§ There are three operation types. It s important to note that one operation may fall in one or
more of these three categories:
o The Processor category includes a spectrum of organic operations, including processors,
handlers, millers, seed cleaners, abattoirs, broker/buyers, baggers, and packagers
o Crop Producers are defined as those who produce or collect crops (field crops,
vegetables, fruits, nuts, etc.)
o Livestock Operations are those with organic livestock on farm
§ Data for 2009-2012 was collected by the Canadian Organic Growers. Data for 2013-2016 was
collected and analyzed by COTA
§ Any percentages below five percent may not be labelled in proportional charts for reasons of
legibility
§ Due to rounding, some totals may not be exactly equal to the sum of the sub-categories

COTA would like to sincerely thank all organic Certification Bodies and associations that
provided the data used in this analysis. Their voluntary participation plays a valuable
role in understanding and supporting the organic sector in the Prairies and across
Canada.

A well-deserved thank-you to:

CCOF Organic Crop Improvement Association
CCPB SRL (OCIA)
Centre for Systems Integration (CSI) Organic Producers Association of Manitoba
Certified Organic Association of BC (COABC) (OPAM)
Ecocert Pacific Agricultural Certification Service
Global Organic Alliance (GOA) (PACS)
International Certification Services Inc. (ICS) ProCert Organic
Oregon Tilth Quality Assurance International (QAI)
TransCanada Organic (TCO) Cert

4
ORGANIC OPERATIONS IN THE PRAIRIES
The Prairies remain an important part of Canada s organic agricultural sector. Nationally, there were
5,459 certified organic operations in 2016, up from 5,051 in 2015. Of these, 4,156 were categorized as
producers, 1,739 as processors (including handlers, manufacturers, and retailers), and 685 as livestock
operations.

In the Prairies, there was an expansion of organic operations across all provinces. Saskatchewan is home
to the largest number of operations (912), followed by Alberta (513) and Manitoba (207). This represents
an addition of 133 operations across the three provinces between 2015 and 2016. The Prairies are home
to over one-third of certified organic producers and nearly 30% of total organic operations in Canada,
but only 12% of processors and 19% of livestock operations.

Table 1 - Overview of Certified Organic Operations in the Prairies, 2016

Crop Producers Livestock Operators Processors* Total Operations**
2015 2016 2015 2016 2015 2016 2015 2016
Alberta 380 450 55 67 67 75 439 513
Saskatchewan 824 839 31 32 56 89 883 912
Manitoba 138 153 32 33 47 48 177 207
Prairie Total 1342 1,442 118 132 160 212 1,499 1,632
* See analysis notes for operation type definitions
**Total Operations is not a sum of the other categories, as some operations fit into multiple categories

CROP PRODUCERS
Prairie organic producer numbers are climbing but have not surpassed the 2009 estimate of 1,610
producers. Following the recession, producer numbers dipped, hitting a low in 2013. Since then, the
number of organic producers has steadily increased, reaching 1,442 in 2016. This is especially promising
considering that the number of farms across Canada is declining, whereas the number of organic
producers is growing.

Table 2 – Certified Organic Crop Producers in the Prairies, 2009-2016

2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016
Prairie Total 1,610 1,371 1,339 1,229 1,151 1,281 1,342 1,442
Cdn Total 3,914 3,732 3,694 3,590 3,513 3,780 4,045 4,156
% of Cdn Total 41.1% 36.7% 36.3% 34.2% 32.8% 33.9% 33.2% 34.7%

In 2015, Alberta surpassed its previous 2009 peak of 319, reaching 380 crop producers. In 2016, Alberta
again had noteworthy growth in producer numbers, adding 70 to its total. This significant growth is
attributed in large part to recently certified organic farms located in the Mackenzie County region.

Saskatchewan continues to dominate in terms of the number of organic producers. But despite having
the most organic producers in the region, Saskatchewan has seen an overall decline in producer numbers
since 2009, with a few slight upturns in 2014 and 2016. The drop in Saskatchewan s number of organic
farmers mirrors overall declines in farmer numbers in the region, albeit at a lesser rate. Similar to the

5
long-standing trend in conventional agriculture, organic acreage continues to expand while producer
numbers drop, reflecting the consolidation of Saskatchewan organic farms.

FIGURE 1 – Certified Organic Crop Producers in the Prairies by Province, 2009-

2016

168
153
158 134 138
134
131
124
MB
SK
AB
839
824
1123 938 914 842
832 764 450
380
319 275 291 305
266 263

2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016

Manitoba is nearing the same number of producers as it had during its peak in 2009. From 2015 to 2016,
Manitoba had the same increase of 15 producers as Saskatchewan, but with its smaller producer base,
this is a more significant expansion. Considering its steady increase in producer numbers since 2013, it
is likely that Manitoba will surpass 168 producers in coming years.

PROCESSORS, HANDLERS, AND MORE

All certified operations that include a non-production-based activity are classified as processors for this
analysis. The category includes processors, handlers, and others. Across all Prairie provinces, the data
shows a significant jump in processor numbers following a steep decline in 2015. The 2016 data (and
industry knowledge) suggests that the 2015 data was inaccurately low. It is, thus, more realistic that
processor numbers remained steadier between 2014 and 2016.

When comparing 2016 data with 2014 data, both Alberta and Manitoba had modest losses of seven and
six processors, respectively. Saskatchewan s numbers, on the other hand, have remained the same.

TABLE 3 – Certified Organic Processors in the Prairies, 2009-2016

2009 2010 2011* 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016
Prairie Total 205 186 n/a 171 181 225 160 212
Cdn Total 1,195 1,115 n/a 1,237 1,446 1,581 1,538 1,739
% of Cdn Total 17.2% 16.7% n/a 13.8% 12.5% 14.2% 10.4% 12.2%
* Processor numbers not available for 2011

6
 FIGURE 2 – Certified Organic Processors in the Prairies by Province, 2009-2016

54
39 48
37 44
96 28 89 89
47 MB
75 67 64 SK
56
AB
76 82 75
70 74 73
57

2009 2010 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016

* Processor numbers not available for 2011

LIVESTOCK
Nationally, the number of livestock operations FIGURE 3 – Certified Organic Livestock
increased from 618 to 685. In the Prairies, the Operations in the Prairies by Province, 2009-
number grew by 14. Manitoba and 2016
Saskatchewan each recorded one additional 150
livestock operation. Alberta had a more
noteworthy addition of 12 livestock operations. 36 33
100 32
Alberta and Manitoba are more likely to have AB
32
mixed farming systems including both crop 28 31 SK
production and livestock, whereas cropping 67 MB
50 64
systems tend to dominate the organic sector in 55
Saskatchewan. No reliable estimates of
livestock operation type or livestock 0
populations are available. 2014 2015 2016

ORGANIC ACREAGE

OVERVIEW
Organic farmland across the Prairies continues to increase (in the years since acreage has been tracked),
with an addition of 200,000 acres since 2015. This is the only time since 2013 that acreage surpassed
the pre-recession level of 1.42 million in 2009. Although acreage has seen promising expansion, there
has been a drop in the Prairie acreage share of national organic land. Its share was 83% in 2009, but
has slowly been declining, hitting 55% of the national share in 2016. This is largely the result of rapid
gains in both the number of operators and the size of organic farms in Ontario and Quebec.

7
 TABLE 4 - Organic Acreage in the Prairies, 2009-2016 (million acres)
2009 2010 2011* 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016
Prairie 1.42 1.32 1.37 1.3 1.44 1.42 1.41 1.64
Total
Cdn Total 1.72 1.72 1.68 2.03 2.31 2.36 2.44 2.90
% of Cdn 83% 77% 81% 61% 62% 60% 58% 55%
Total
* Estimates of acreage were required for this year, as acreage from only a fraction of producers was recorded

FIGURE 4 – Certified Organic Acreage in the Prairies, Total & Share, 2009-2016

83% 90%
1,600 81%
Thousands

77% 112
62% 60% 80%
1,400 57 58%
104 84 92
100 61% 70%
109 55%
1,200 86
60%
1,000 1,085 50%
1,023 873 893
800 987 940
920 781 40%
600 30%
400 20%
200 364 462 426 438 10%
334 294 326 361
- 0%
2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016
AB SK MB % of Cdn Total

All three Prairie

Table 5 - Organic Acreage by Province, 2016
provinces showed AB SK MB Prairie % Cdn
organic farmland Total Total
Field Crops* 184,042 526,919 51,311 762,271 82%
expansion. Manitoba
added 20,000 acres, Cereals 147,167 377,761 39,993 564,921 89%
Saskatchewan added Pulses 28,696 86,313 2,456 117,464 79%
nearly 200,000 acres, Oilseeds 3,023 55,511 5,249 63,783 73%
and Alberta added Other Field Crops 5,156 7,334 3,613 16,103 29%
12,000 acres. Most Pasture, forage, 247,242 556,622 58,765 862,629 46%
categories in and natural areas
Saskatchewan posted Fruits and 1,982 1,933 1,629 5,543 8%
increases, but the big vegetables
driver of expansion Uncategorized** 4,735 - - 4,735 5%
was pasture, forage, Total 438,001 1,085,473 111,705 1,635,179 55%
and natural areas. * Field Crops is a sum of cereals, pulses, oilseeds, and other field crops
** The uncategorized category was introduced this year to account for limitations in the ability to separate
Manitoba s and acreage type within the format submitted by certain CBs. Efforts will be made to reduce this category in
Alberta s expansion coming years
were primarily field
crop acreage. Manitoba organic field crop farms are becoming larger, while Alberta added a number of
new smaller organic field crop operations, particularly in the north in Mackenzie County.

8
In absolute terms, pasture, forage, and natural areas is the largest category in all provinces, with an
estimated 862,629 acres. This category accounts for 53% of organic acreage in the region.

Field crops are the second-largest category with 762,271 acres, accounting for 47% of organic acreage.
Fruits and vegetables represent a small share of organic acreage (less than one percent) with an estimated
5,543 acres. Uncategorized crops are only reported for Alberta, due to a limitation of segregating acreage
with one Certification Body. The proportional acreage by acreage category is fairly similar across all
three Prairie provinces.

FIGURE 5 – Proportional Organic Acreage in the Prairies, 2016

AB 42% 56%

SK 49% 51%

MB 46% 53%

Prairie
47% 53%
Total

Field Crops Pasture, forage and natural areas Fruits and vegetables Uncategorized

FIELD CROPS: CEREALS

Cereal acreage totals 564,921

TABLE 6 - Cereal Acreage by Province, 2016
in 2016, accounting for 89%
of Canadian organic field AB SK MB Prairie % Cdn
crop lands. In the Prairies, Total Total
cereals dominate the organic Barley 16,079 36,031 4,487 56,597 89%
landscape at 35% of Prairie Kamut 2,820 30,896 - 33,716 99%
organic farmland. Two-thirds Mixed Grain - 56 1,479 1,535 93%
of Prairie organic cereal Oats 79,808 116,737 15,056 211,601 94%
acreage is in Saskatchewan. Rye 2,255 15,754 3,126 21,135 83%
Wheat 44,662 174,562 15,276 234,501 90%
Wheat is the most important Other Cereals* 1,543 3,725 569 5,837 22%
organic cereal crop grown in Total 147,167 377,761 39,993 564,921 89%
the Prairies, representing 42% * Other Cereals includes: millet, triticale and other cereals with no details
of cereal acreage. Oats are
the second-largest category overall, and the largest in Alberta. Total oat acreage was 211,601 in 2016,
up from 153,444 in 2015. Because collection of data by Certification Bodies does not require what the
crops are used for to be recorded, many of the field crops grown on these acres may represent a mix of
uses including food, animal feed, green manure, or other uses. For this reason, there may be
discrepancies in the data as some acreage could be categorized as a field crop or a green manure (which
falls within the pasture, forage, and natural areas category).

9
 FIGURE 6 – Proportional Organic Cereal Acreage in the Prairies, 2016

AB 11% 54% 30%

SK 10% 8% 31% 4% 46%

MB 11% 4% 38% 8% 38%

Barley Kamut Mixed Grain Oats Rye Wheat Other Cereals

FIELD CROPS: PULSES

Table 7 - Pulse Acreage by Province, 2016 Pulses have gained

widespread interest stemming
AB SK MB Prairie % Cdn
from the popularity of plant-
Total Total
based proteins and the Food
Beans 826 2,522 969 4,317 14%
& Agriculture Organization s
Lentils 4,682 52,281 38 57,001 100%
designation of 2016 as the
Peas 23,188 31,033 1,449 55,670 93%
Year of the Pulses. In addition
Other Pulses and - 477 - 477 65%
to these food trends, organic
Protein Crops*
Total 28,696 86,313 2,456 117,464 79% producers grow pulses
*Other Pulses and Protein Crops includes: legumes, and pulses with no details because they are an
important part of their crop
rotations. Canadian organic pulses have grown in recent years, with 79% of all acres found in the Prairies
in 2016. Between 2015 and 2016, organic pulse acreage grew by 28,000 acres ̶ a 33% increase. Lentils
are the largest category at 57,001 acres, followed closely by peas at 55,670 acres. Proportionally,
Saskatchewan is mostly lentil acreage (61%), whereas pea acreage is more extensive in Alberta (81%)
and Manitoba (59%).

FIGURE 7 – Proportional Organic Pulse Acreage in the Prairies, 2016

AB 16% 81%

SK 61% 36%

MB 39% 59%

Beans Lentils Peas Other Pulses and Protein Crops

10
FIELD CROPS: OILSEEDS

Similar to pulses, most of Canada s

Table 8 - Oilseed Acreage by Province, 2016
organic oilseed acreage is in the
Prairie provinces. With 63,783 acres AB SK MB Prairie % Cdn
recorded in 2016, the Prairies are Total Total
Canola 270 340 - 610 84%
home to 73% of the country s
Flax 2,311 43,126 3,948 49,385 99%
organic oilseed farmland.
Mustard 437 11,415 521 12,373 97%
Soybeans - 630 460 1,090 5%
Saskatchewan has the vast majority
Other 5 - 320 325 40%
of these acres ̶ 87%. Alberta and
Oilseeds*
Manitoba have a few thousand acres
Total 3,023 55,511 5,249 63,783 73%
each. Across all provinces, flax is the *Other Oilseed Crops includes: sunflower and oilseed crops with no details
largest oilseed category, followed by
mustard.

FIGURE 8 – Proportional Organic Oilseed Acreage in the Prairies, 2016

AB 9% 76% 14%

SK 78% 21%

MB 75% 10% 9% 6%

Canola Flax Mustard Soybeans Other Oilseeds

* Due to modifications in the acreage categories, this figure cannot be compared with the 2015 data presented in the previous Organic
Agriculture in the Prairies Report

FIELD CROPS: OTHER

This category includes amaranth, borage, buckwheat, Table 9 – Other Field Crop Acreage
hemp, popping corn, quinoa, and any crops recorded as by Province, 2015 & 2016
multiple field crop categories or that have no details AB SK MB Prairie
about the type of field crop. The vast majority of the Total
acreage categorized as other field crops is acreage with 2015 2,814 4,387 742 7,942
no information beyond the fact that it is a field crop. This 2016 5,156 7,334 3,613 16,103
means that it could be any of the other field crops
mentioned in previous sections, but detail was not provided.

11
PASTURE, FORAGE, AND NATURAL AREAS

Table 10 - Pasture, Forage, and Natural This category is a catchall for a number of land use
Areas by Province, 2015 & 2016 types where there is a high degree of cross-over
AB SK MB Prairie between categories. This category includes
Total perennial and annual forages (e.g., alfalfa, clover,
2015 281,359 396,663 56,215 734,237 and grass), permanent pasture, fallow land, green
2016 247,242 556,622 58,765 862,629 manures, wild collection, and natural areas. It is
possible that some green manure acreage has been captured in the field crop acreage above, due to the
way the data is provided. The detailed subcategories are not reported due to concerns over accuracy.

FRUITS AND VEGETABLES

The fruit and vegetable category includes fresh Table 11 - Fruit and Vegetable
vegetables, fruits, nuts, and root crops. This category saw Acreage by Province, 2014 & 2016
a substantial jump in the Prairies in 2015, which has since AB SK MB Prairie
been identified as a data error and has therefore been Total
deleted from the analysis. In 2016, fruit and vegetable 2014 1,632 714 2,424 4,770
acreage in the Prairies totalled 5,543 acres. 2016 1,982 1,933 1,629 5,543

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ALBERTA
Alberta had the greatest increase of organic FIGURE 9 – Alberta Operations, 2014-2016
operations in 2016, along with a relatively
small increase in land base compared to the 2014 2015 2016
other Prairie provinces. The addition of 70
certified producers, 12 livestock operations,
and 18 processors brought the total number
of operations to 513.

75

75
57
67
Many of the added operations are in the

64

55
305

380

450

365

439

513
northern part of the province, in Mackenzie
Primary Livestock Processors etc. Total
County. The increase may be the result of a
Producers Operations Operations
growing critical mass of organic producers; * Total Operations is not a sum of the other categories, as some operations
they tend to occur in clusters, which may fit into multiple categories

Table 12 – Alberta Acreage, 2015 & 2016

2015 2016 Change % Change
facilitates knowledge transfer amongst
Field Crops 137,941 184,042 46,101 33%
neighbours. Investment in logistics
Cereals 113,222 147,167 33,945 30%
infrastructure by a large organic grain
buyer is also likely a factor in the rapid
Barley 18,415 16,079 (2,336) (13%)
adoption of organic agriculture around the
Kamut 1,760 2,820 1,060 60%
Mackenzie County region.
Mixed Grain 735 - (735) (100%
Oats 46,014 79,808 33,794 73%
Alberta s organic farmland grew by a
Rye 2,032 2,255 223 11%
modest 12,344 acres, a three percent
Wheat 43,712 44,662 950 2%
increase from 2015 ̶ the lowest
Other Cereals 554 1,543 989 179% proportional expansion in the Prairies.
Pulses 17,599 28,696 11,097 63% Most gains were recorded in field crops
Beans 458 826 368 80% (+46,101 acres, mostly oats) and most
Lentils 974 4,682 3,708 381% losses were recorded in pasture, forage,
Peas 14,782 23,188 8,406 57% and natural areas (-34,117 acres). The
Other Pulses and 1,385 - (1,385) (100%) large drop in fruit and vegetable areas is
Protein Crops likely due to a data reporting error in
Oilseeds 4,306 3,023 (1,283) (30%)
2015. There are efforts to address this
Canola 220 270 50 23%
challenge moving forward.
Flax 3,429 2,311 (1,119) (33%)
Mustard 160 437 277 173%
For more resources and information on
Soybeans - - - - organics in Alberta, visit the Organic
Other Oilseeds 496 5 (491) (99%) Alberta website: www.organicalberta.org.
Other Field Crops 2,814 5,156 2,342 83%
Hemp 2,428 2,544 116 5%
Corn 215 - (215) (100%)
Buckwheat 63 153 90 143%
Other Field Crops 109 2,459 2,350 2156%
Pasture, Forage, 281,359 247,242 (34,117) (12%)
and Natural areas
Fruits and 6,356 1,982 (4,374) (69%)
Vegetables
Uncategorized n/a 4,735 n/a n/a
TOTAL 425,656 438,001 12,344 3%
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SASKATCHEWAN
FIGURE 10 – Saskatchewan Operations, 2015 & 2016
Saskatchewan continues to have the
greatest number of organic operations in 2014 2015 2016
the Prairies, second only to Quebec
nationally. All categories have seen growth
since 2015, with the exception of
processors, which, estimated at 89, is the
same as in 2014. Primary producers have

89
89
842

824

839

923

883

912
expanded by 15, and livestock operations

56
28

31

32
by one.
Primary Livestock Processors etc. Total
Producers Operations Operations
Saskatchewan surpassed one million * Total Operations is not a sum of the other categories, as some operations may
organic acres in 2016 with the addition of fit into multiple categories

Table 13 – Saskatchewan Acreage, 2015 & 2016

2015 2016 Change % Change nearly 200,000 acres. The growth was
Field Crops 492,043 526,919 34,876 7% predominantly in the pasture, forage,
Cereals 361,260 377,761 16,502 5% and natural area categories. All field
Barley 33,218 36,031 2,813 8%
crop categories expanded with the
Kamut 27,698 30,896 3,198 12%
exception of oilseeds. The largest
expansion was in oat and lentils.
Mixed Grain 100 56 (44) (44%)
Oats 102,301 116,737 14,436 14%
The large drop in fruit and vegetable
Rye 17,239 15,754 (1,485) (9%)
areas is likely due to a data reporting
Wheat 174,633 174,562 (71) 0%
issue in 2015.
Other Cereals 6,071 3,725 (2,346) (39%)
Pulses 68,159 86,313 18,153 27%
For more resources and information
Beans 191 2,522 2,331 1223% on organics in Saskatchewan, visit the
Lentils 27,437 52,281 24,844 91% SaskOrganics website:
Peas 27,796 31,033 3,236 12% www.saskorganics.org.
Other Pulses and 12,735 477 (12,258) (96%)
Protein Crops
Oilseeds 58,237 55,511 (2,726) -5%
Canola 20 340 320 1600%
Flax 48,508 43,126 (5,382) (11%)
Mustard 8,386 11,415 3,029 36%
Soybeans 1,065 630 (435) (41%)
Other Oilseeds 258 - (258) (100%)
Other Field Crops 4,387 7,334 2,947 67%
Hemp 2,285 2,274 (11) 0%
Corn 58 57 (1) (1%)
Buckwheat 567 2,020 1,453 256%
Other Field Crops 1,477 2,983 1,506 102%
Pasture, Forage, 396,663 556,622 159,958 40%
and Natural areas
Fruits and 4,454 1,933 (2,521) (57%)
Vegetables
Uncategorized n/a - n/a n/a
TOTAL 893,160 1,085,473 192,313 22%

14
MANITOBA
FIGURE 11 – Manitoba Operations, 2015 & 2016
Manitoba remains the humblest organic
sector in the Prairies, with 207 operations 2014 2015 2016
and 111,705 acres recorded in 2016. The
sector is fairly stable, with some gains in
producer numbers (+15), and nearly stable
livestock (+1) and processor (+1) numbers.

32
36

33
Organic acreage in Manitoba expanded by

134

138

153

178

177

207
48

47

48
over 20,000 acres, reaching 111,705 ̶ a
Primary Livestock Processors etc. Total Operations
22% increase since 2015. Seventy-five Producers Operations
percent of this growth was in the field crop
* Total Operations is not a sum of the other categories, as some operations
categories, notably among barley, oats, may fit into multiple categories
wheat, and hemp.
Table 14 – Manitoba Acreage, 2015 & 2016
2015 2016 Change % Change For more resources and information on
Field Crops 34,570 51,311 16,741 48% organics in Manitoba, visit the Manitoba
Cereals 24,524 39,993 15,469 63% Organic Alliance website:
Barley 2,582 4,487 1,905 74% www.manitobaorganicalliance.com.
Kamut - - - -
Mixed Grain 1,739 1,479 (260) (15%)
Oats 5,129 15,056 9,927 194%
Rye 3,509 3,126 (383) (11%)
Wheat 10,883 15,276 4,393 40%
Other Cereals 682 569 (113) (17%)
Pulses 2,780 2,456 (324) (12%)
Beans 387 969 582 150%
Lentils 650 38 (612) (94%)
Peas 1,306 1,449 143 11%
Other Pulses and 437 - (437) (100%)
Protein Crops
Oilseeds 6,524 5,249 (1,275) (20%)
Canola - - - -
Flax 3,249 3,948 699 21%
Mustard 1,473 521 (952) (65%)
Soybeans 1,339 460 (879) (66%)
Other Oilseeds 463 320 (143) (31%)
Other Field Crops 742 3,613 2,871 387%
Hemp 267 2,210 1,943 728%
Corn 146 442 296 203%
Buckwheat 319 961 642 201%
Other Field Crops 10 - (10) (100%)
Pasture, Forage 56,215 58,765 2,551 5%
and Natural areas
Fruits and 833 1,629 796 96%
Vegetables
Uncategorized n/a - n/a n/a
TOTAL 91,618 111,705 20,087 22%

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