Frequently asked questions—Census of Agriculture

Any person responsible for operating a farm or an agricultural operation should complete a 2026 Census of Agriculture questionnaire. One questionnaire should be completed for every census farm.

Statistics Canada is required by law to conduct a Census of Agriculture every five years. The Census of Agriculture provides a comprehensive profile of the physical, economic, social and environmental aspects of Canada's agriculture sector every five years. The Census of Agriculture is the only official source for high-quality agricultural data for small geographic areas in Canada.

A wide range of data is published at the national, provincial and subprovincial levels, such as:

• the number of farms by farm types, land use and practices
• agricultural commodities including various crops and livestock as well as other agricultural products such as mushrooms and bees
• business operating arrangements as well as operating revenues and expenses.

The Census of Agriculture is essential for understanding changes in Canada's agriculture sector over time. Consequently, it serves as a basis for informed public and private decision making, as well as research and analysis in areas of concern to the people of Canada.

The Census of Agriculture works within the Census of Population timelines to leverage their collection and processing activities, saving taxpayers millions of dollars. The timing of the larger Census of Population is carefully planned to reach the highest number of Canadians at home during collection.

The "census farm" concept of the Census of Agriculture refers to a unit that produces agricultural products and reports revenues or expenses for tax purposes to the Canada Revenue Agency.

A census farm is also known as a farm, farm operation, agricultural operation and agricultural holding.

Agricultural products covered by the census farm definition include:

• crops, such as grains, oilseeds, pulses, vegetables, fruits, nuts, greenhouse products, cultivated mushrooms, sod, nursery products, cultivated Christmas trees, fodder crops, hemp, maple syrup and other crop products.
• livestock, such as dairy and beef cattle, pigs, chickens, turkeys, ducks, geese, other poultry, eggs, sheep, goats, horses, donkeys and mules, bison, elk, deer, llamas and alpacas, rabbits, mink, bees, honey, and other animal products.

The census farm concept excludes operations that are wholly dedicated to certain activities, such as:

• growing cannabis;
• harvesting wild plants or mushrooms on unmanaged land;
• providing support activities for crop production or animal production;
• providing horseback riding lessons;
• practising forestry and logging;
• hunting, trapping, fishing or practising aquaculture;
• selling compost and topsoil or harvesting peat moss;
• raising pet animals (including kennels), racing pigeons, animals for pet stores (such as crickets, rats, mice and birds) or laboratory animals, or running a petting zoo business or an animal sanctuary.

The Census of Agriculture "farm operator" concept refers to a person aged 15 or older who is responsible for the operational management decisions of a census farm. Farm operators can be owners, tenants or hired managers of the agricultural operation, including those responsible for management decisions pertinent to particular aspects of the operation—seeding, harvesting, raising animals, marketing and selling products, and making capital purchases and other financial decisions.

The farm operator concept excludes accountants, lawyers, veterinarians, crop advisors, herbicide consultants, and others who make recommendations that affect the census farm but are not ultimately responsible for management decisions.

Yes. Farms with very low farm revenues—sometimes called "hobby farms"—are included in the Census of Agriculture, as long as they produce agricultural products and report revenues or expenses for tax purposes to the Canada Revenue Agency.

Since the Census of Agriculture counts the total farm area, inventories for all crops, livestock and other agricultural products in Canada, it is important for the 2026 Census of Agriculture to include all types and sizes of farms.

If you have not yet seeded, grown, raised or produced agricultural products as of May 12, 2026, but intend to do so this year, please complete the census questionnaire with your best estimate.

The Census of Agriculture counts all operations that produce agricultural products for which they report revenues or expenses to the Canada Revenue Agency. If an agricultural operation has multiple business numbers, each one of the business numbers associated with the sale of primary agricultural commodities will receive a separate questionnaire. To ensure accurate reporting, it is essential for respondents to complete each questionnaire using the unique secure access code provided in each invitation letter.

The 2026 Census of Agriculture provides a detailed picture of Canada's agriculture sector at the national, provincial and subprovincial levels, and helps farm operators, agricultural organizations, government policymakers and businesses make informed decisions. Media also use the data to bring current issues to the forefront of public attention.

Although Statistics Canada conducts other agriculture surveys, only the Census of Agriculture provides data for small geographic areas. This information ensures that the issues affecting farm operators, agricultural operations and farming communities are included in the decisions that affect them and their livelihood.

Yes, participation in the 2026 Census of Agriculture is mandatory. Under the Statistics Act​ (opens in a new window), all agricultural operators are required to complete a Census of Agriculture questionnaire.

Sections 13 and 24 of the Statistics Act​ (opens in a new window) allow Statistics Canada to access administrative files for statistical and research purposes. Statistics Canada uses existing sources for information such as immigration, income tax and benefits data to ensure the smallest response burden is placed on respondents. Using administrative data reduces the response burden on agricultural operations, saves time and money, and ensures that the Census of Agriculture remains accurate, relevant, and efficient.

All information collected by Statistics Canada is kept confidential and anonymized, and is used for statistical purposes only, in accordance with the Statistics Act.

Statistics Canada does not release any information that identifies an individual, household, business or agricultural operation without their consent, or as authorized by the Statistics Act​ (opens in a new window).

Statistics Canada takes great precautions to protect your information and employs technologies and practices to ensure that strict security and confidentiality requirements are met.

Access to an online questionnaire is restricted by a unique 16-digit secure access code.

Encryption technologies ensure that the transmission of information passing between respondents' computers and the agency's web server meets the required standards of security.

Census of Agriculture data are processed and stored on a high-security network. Firewalls, intrusion detection systems and access control procedures limit access to computer systems and databases.

For more information, please refer to Statistics Canada's Trust Centre​ (opens in a new window).

The Census of Agriculture provides a comprehensive picture of Canada's agriculture sector at the national, provincial and subprovincial levels. The information gathered during the Census of Agriculture is essential for understanding changes over time in the industry, which plays an important role in supporting the sector's economic growth, recovery, and sustainability, especially as it relates to international trade, competitiveness, and advancing agricultural science innovation, such as research on climate change.

Census of Agriculture data are used by:

• farm operators, to inform production, marketing, and investment decisions
• agricultural producer groups, to inform their members about sector trends and developments, to put the viewpoint of operators before legislators and the Canadian public, and to defend their interests in international trade negotiations
• governments, to make policy decisions concerning agricultural credit, crop insurance, farm support, transportation, market services and international trade
• Statistics Canada, to provide Canadians with annual estimates between censuses for the agriculture sector
• businesses, to market products and services and to make production and investment decisions
• academics, to conduct research on the agriculture sector
• the media, to relay information about the agriculture sector to the broader Canadian public.

To reduce response burden, the 2026 Census of Agriculture questionnaire has been shortened. The questions on paid labour, operating revenues and operating expenses have been removed from the questionnaire, as administrative data will be used to produce this information instead. In addition, some online questionnaire respondents will not be required to provide information on their greenhouse areas and maple tree taps because this information is available to Statistics Canada from other Statistics Canada surveys., or other federal, provincial or municipal government departments, or farm associations.

Additionally, following consultations and testing, some questions have been modified to better reflect recent changes in the agriculture sector. Others have been slightly reworded to make them more understandable and easier for respondents to answer.

For example:

• The categories nectarines and hazelnuts have been added to the list of products included in the fruits, berries and nuts question.
• In the land practices and features question, respondents must now report the area dedicated to land practices, such as in-field winter grazing or feeding, rotational grazing, turning in green crops, and planting fall or winter cover crops.
• A greenhouse lettuces subcategory has been added to the greenhouse fruits and vegetables category in the greenhouses question.
• The response categories for the different types of bioenergy produced by agricultural operations have been modified in the renewable energy question.
• A new category, electronic feed monitoring system, has been added to the technologies question.

A detailed explanation of other changes, deletions or additions to the 2026 questionnaire is available in the order that they appear on the 2026 questionnaire. Please consult Census of Agriculture: Changes to the questionnaire, 2026​ (opens in a new window).

Many of the questions on the Census of Agriculture questionnaire provide a picture of agricultural activities in Canada and how they shape the environment.

The Census of Agriculture asks questions about

• farming practices that conserve soil fertility and prevent erosion
• pesticide and fertilizer use
• land features used to prevent wind or water damage
• manure use
• irrigation
• renewable energy production.

Data from these questions present a picture of the relationship between agriculture and the environment and, by evaluating and comparing the data over time, analysts can assess how agricultural operators are adapting their methods and fulfilling their role as stewards of the land.

The first release of Census of Agriculture data is planned for publication in Statistics Canada's official release bulletin, The Daily​ (opens in a new window), in May 2027, and will provide estimates on all farms and farm operators in Canada.

For a complete list of our products, visit the Census of Agriculture​ (opens in a new window) portal. Users with general enquiries may also contact Statistics Canada at 1-800-263-1136 (toll free).

The Census of Agriculture is a nation-wide endeavour that involves collecting information from every agricultural operation in Canada. The collection, follow-up, quality checks, processing, validation, tabulation, and publication of data from such an extensive process take about one year to complete.

Statistics Canada takes these steps to ensure that the data are accurate across all variables, geographies, and farm types. This process is critical as it ensures that local issues affecting farm operators, agricultural operations and farming communities are reflected in the data, and that they can be used effectively to support decision-making by farmers, the agriculture and agri-food industry, and governments at all levels.