2020 -- The last Good Year?

OTTAWA - Feb 10/04 - SNS -- Canada's farming community has a strong feeling the economic numbers released by Statistics Canada for 2003 will be the last good year for that sector of the Canadian economy for several years.

Data released by Statistics Canada today revealed farm sector equity in Canada was up 3.3% in 2002 to $185.3 billion, as farm asset values increased more rapidly than farm debt.

Total farm assets rose $8.6 billion to $225.6 billion in 2002, while total liabilities increased $2.7 billion to $40.3 billion. Agricultural sector equity (in current dollars) grew annually from 1987 to 2001.

The federal statistical agency also reckons farm business operators had about the same amount of cash available for investment or withdrawal in 2002 as they had in the previous year. After reaching a record in 2001, cash flows maintained almost the same level in 2002 at $11.4 billion, well above the previous five-year average (1997 to 2001) of $10.2 billion.

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