For more than 100 years, Canadian scientists have been working at developing crops adapted to the harsh Canadian environment. And sure enough, it has paid off.
As Agriculture and Agri-food Canada says, “The agriculture industry is the apple of Canada’s eye.” Besides feeding Canadians, it’s one of the greatest contributors to our economy and has earned us the title of the fifth largest agricultural exporter in the world.
Let’s see what makes us such world leaders:
- We produce about 85 per cent of the world's maple syrup.
- We are the world's largest grower and exporter of flax seeds, canola, oats, mustard seeds, pulses (like peas, beans and lentils) and durum wheat,the kind used to make pasta.
- Wheat is Canada's largest crop and the single biggest export earner of all our agricultural products. In fact, we're one of the top five wheat exporters on the planet, and the world's largest producer of high-protein milling wheat.
- Canada grows more than 50 varieties of apples, exporting more than $37 million worth of the crop each year.
- Canada is the number one canola-producing and exporting country in the world--as it should be; canola was invented here.
- We are the world’s second largest exporter of malting barley (used to brew beer).
- The meat processing industry is Canada’s third largest manufacturing industry, ranking behind motor vehicles and petroleum products.
- We are the world’s largest producer of both fresh and frozen blueberries.
- We are the world's fourth largest exporter of fresh mushrooms.
- We are the third largest pork exporter in the world, exporting to more than 90 countries.
Overall, agriculture contributes more than $100 billion annually to Canada’s economy, employing 2.3 million Canadians. So please, if the opportunity arises, hug a farmer.
