Middle-sized farms are disappearing in Quebec – ‘Start small, but get big’

A new provincial analysis of farm income data points to a familiar but accelerating trend in Quebec agriculture. The picture is one of continued consolidation with fewer farms producing more of the province’s food, alongside a growing number of smaller operations playing a more limited economic role.

According to the latest figures, Quebec had 23,335 farms in 2024, a modest decline of 2.3 per cent since 2020. This is based on Statistics Canada data for farms generating $25,000 per year in revenues.

The decrease in larger farms is driven primarily by livestock operations, which declined by 8.5 per cent over the period, while crop farms edged up slightly. Despite their declining numbers, livestock farms continue to dominate economically, accounting for roughly 65 per cent of total agricultural revenue. Crop farms now make up the majority of operations but generate just over one-third of farm income.

But this topline number only tells part of the story. Separate provincial data for the same period shows, however, a rise in the total number of registered farms based on farms with at least $5,000 in annual income. The number of farms increased by 917, from 27,320 to 28,237. This suggests that growth is occurring at the lower end of the scale, reflecting an increase in part-time, niche, or emerging operations with income under $25,000 annually.

This points to a continuing and significant shift that is happening within the agricultural sector. Farms generating $500,000 or more in annual revenue now represent 31 per cent of all operations – up from 27 per cent in 2020 – while accounting for a striking 88 per cent of total agricultural revenue. In contrast, nearly 40 per cent of farms generate less than $100,000 annually, contributing only about 2 per cent of total revenue.

Mid-sized farms are increasingly under pressure. Operations earning between $100,000 and $499,000 have declined both in number and in their share of total revenue, suggesting a continued squeeze between smaller niche producers and larger, more capital-intensive farms.

The trend is particularly pronounced in livestock production, where half of all farms now fall into the largest revenue category and generate the overwhelming majority of sector income. Similar patterns are evident in crop production, though somewhat less extreme.