Canadian Farmland Values Increase, Farm Credit Canada Says

The average value of Canadian farmland increased 3.0% during the first six months of 2010, following increases of 3.6% and 2.9% in the previous two reporting periods, according to Farm Credit Canada's Fall 2010 Farmland Values report.

FCC's report covers the period from Jan. 1 to June 30, 2010. Farmland values remained stable or increased in all provinces except British Columbia, which saw a 0.9% decrease. Ontario experienced the highest average increase at 4.3%, followed by Manitoba at 3.4% and Nova Scotia at 3.1%.

Saskatchewan and Alberta each saw 2.9% growth. Quebec (2.3%) and Newfoundland and Labrador (0.7%) rounded out the list of provinces that experienced a rise in farmland values.

Values were unchanged in New Brunswick and Prince Edward Island.

Twice a year the FCC compiles and releases the Farmland Values Report, which highlights average changes in land values in each province and nationally. A report is released in the spring, describing changes from July 1 to Dec. 31. A second report, released in the fall, identifies changes from Jan. 1 to June 30.

Good monsoon will benefit food processing sector

New Delhi, Oct 5 (IANS) A good monsoon this year will help Indian agriculture grow robustly and benefit the food processing and packaging sectors, Minister of State for Agriculture and Consumer Affairs K. V. Thomas said Tuesday.

'Companies which have invested in supply chain of farming like contract farming, food processing and packaging will benefit greatly from good agricultural output,' he said at a conference organised by the Confederation of Indian Industry.


He said good agricultural growth would lead to increased rural spending and give a fillip to the ancillary sector.


'India will benefit from robust rural demand which will have a cascading effect down the chain. Indian rural market will also benefit from huge spending on infrastructure,' Thomas added.

Thomas said India has 14 agriculture zones which can provide horticultural and agricultural produce to other countries and can import agricultural inputs.