Jan. 17, 2012 — Optimism among Canadian agriculture producers and agribusiness owners is at an all-time high, according to the fifth annual Farm Credit Canada (FCC) national Vision panel survey.
A full 80 per cent say that their farm or business will be better off in five years – a shift from 76 per cent in 2010. Further evidence of this optimistic attitude is demonstrated in additional survey findings which show:
• That more Canadian producers report being better off today than they were five years ago – 77 per cent compared to 67 per cent in 2010.
• That 58 per cent of producers plan to expand or diversify their operations within the next five years.
• That seven in 10 producers would encourage a friend or relative to pursue a career in primary production.
Full survey results are available at www.fccvision.ca/research.
“The results are great news,” says FCC president and CEO Greg Stewart. “Producers said their optimism is driven by their expectation of profitability over the next five years, increasing global demand for food and the fact that they have either recently, or expect to, reduce their debt over the next five years.
"At the same time, they expressed caution due to factors beyond their control such as weather, unpredictable economic conditions and potential rising interest rates, which makes perfect sense.”
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