Industry Profile
Only 3 percent of total provincial land is considered arable or
potentially arable, although up to 30 per cent of the province has some
agriculture potential. Farm holdings (20,290 farms in 2001) cover 2.6
million hectares. Of this, 618,000 hectares are in crops and over 1.4
million hectares are for pasture or grazing. An estimated 10 million
hectares, of which over 8.5 million hectares are Crown land, are classed
as open or forested grazing land used by the ranching industry.
All arable soils have been mapped and classified on the basis of
quality, and the best classes have been placed within the Agricultural
Land Reserve (ALR) to be maintained for agricultural and related
purposes. Slightly over 4.7 million hectares of land are in the ALR.
According to the 2001 Census of Agriculture, the average census farm
had an area of 128 hectares. However, farm size varies greatly depending
on the type of activity, from thousands of hectares in grain or ranching
enterprises to less than five hectares in mushroom, greenhouse and
poultry businesses.
Agriculture in British Columbia is distinguished by its diversity.
Some of the activities carried out by provincial farmers include: dairy
farming; cattle-ranching; poultry-raising; and growing of tree fruits,
vegetables, berries, grapes, mushrooms, bulbs, ornamental flowers and
shrubs. Agriculture is the province's third largest primary industry,
behind forestry and mining.
British Columbia ranks sixth among the provinces in farm cash
receipts. Farm cash receipts are estimated at $1.9 billion over the past
5 year average. Commodities producing the largest revenues include
dairy, floriculture and nursery, poultry, beef, berries and grapes, and
treefruit.
The largest single component of the agriculture industry in terms of
assets and annual revenues is the dairy industry. Other livestock
industries of key importance are cattle and calves and poultry farming.
Large dairy herds are concentrated in the Lower Mainland, southeastern
Vancouver Island and the North Okanagan-Shuswap area. Smaller
concentrations are found near Creston, Smithers, Vanderhoof, Prince
George, Dawson Creek and Fort St. John.
Cattle ranching is carried out primarily on range lands of the
southern and central interior, the Peace River district and the
Kootenays. However, beef cattle are raised all throughout the province
on large and small operations. Hog and poultry production remains
concentrated near Greater Vancouver and Victoria, although most areas
with larger populations have some hog and poultry production as well.
British Columbia produces turkeys, chickens, eggs, sheep and lambs,
wool, honey, furs, game products such as bison, fallow deer and
reindeer, and many other livestock-related products across the province.
Crops of major importance to British Columbia's agriculture in terms
of annual value include floriculture and nursery, berries and grapes,
and tree fruit. Southern interior valleys, principally the Okanagan, are
well-suited to the production of tree fruits and grapes. The cooler and
wetter climate of the lower Fraser Valley and southern Vancouver Island
favours berry crops and vegetables. Greenhouse crops, nursery products,
mushrooms and other specialty crops are concentrated in the southwestern
corner of the province.
Most of the province's grain, oilseeds and forage seeds are grown in
the Peace River district in the northeastern section of the province
although some grain is also produced in the Kootenay area in the
southeast corner. The Peace River area is an extension of the more
prairie-like terrain of Alberta which is well-suited to grain and
oilseed crops because of its flatter land and climate.
The Lower Mainland area, and to some extent Vancouver Island,
produces much of British Columbia's potatoes, vegetables, mushrooms,
berries, floriculture, nursery crops and some apples because of the very
rich soil and flat terrain of the Fraser River delta. The lower Fraser
River area between Hope and Vancouver is considered to be among the most
rich soil areas of Canada. The variety of crops grown in this region are
very high which contributes to creating products for many different
tastes and markets around the world. However, other regions such as the
Okanagan are also significant production areas for these commodities.
This industry occupies a very important place in the province's
economy. More than 80 species of finfish and shellfish are grown,
harvested and marketed by British Columbia's seafood industry. The
annual total value of the British Columbia seafood harvest is nearly
$620 million, with finished processed products fetching an estimated
total of more than $1.1 billion wholesale. Exports of British Columbia's
seafood products, valued at $984 million, were shipped to 79 countries
in 2004.
The industry provides full and part-time employment for nearly 16,000
people. While commercial and tidal sport generated 10,100 jobs, the
aquaculture sector supported 1,900 direct jobs and seafood processing
generated another 3,900 jobs.
Salmon (wild and farmed) is one of the most dominant and important
commodities of the entire agri-food industry and accounted for 45% of
the total value of all British Columbia seafood products, followed by
groundfish species, shellfish species and herring.
The seafood industry operates all over the British Columbia coast.
The major concentrations of the province's more than 200 seafood
processing plants were in the Lower Mainland, Vancouver Island and
Prince Rupert areas. Seafood processing (including wild and farmed
fish) accounts for nearly 20% of the value of food manufacturing
activity in the province.
The aquaculture industry, the farming of fish and shellfish species
in fresh or salt water, is the largest agri-food industry in
British Columbia and is well-known in this area of North America. Worth
only $3 million in 1983, the aquaculture industry is now valued at more
than $212 million at the farmgate and $294 million wholesale value of
processed products.
The British Columbia coastline is particularly suited to aquaculture
because of a coastline that is unique in North America for it's many
fjords and protected inlets and bays, ice-free areas, ideal water
temperature for fish production and low pollution.
Salmon farms are primarily located in and around the north-east and
west coasts of Vancouver Island, while the majority of the shellfish
farms were situated in the Georgia Basin, primarily in the Baynes Sound
area. The industry's trout farms operate all around the province, with
major concentrations in the Lower Mainland and some in the
Thompson/Okanagan areas.
Aquaculture provides opportunities for many small businesses.
Manufacturers of nets, net pens, floats, anchors and other equipment
have opened their doors and have developed a strong service industry.
Other related businesses include feed supply, broodstock development,
disease management services and specialist consulting services. There is
also transportation, processing and packaging/value added industries
involved with fish farming.
Provincially, in terms of production volumes, the majority (75%) of
salmon farmed is Atlantic salmon while chinook represents 24% and coho
and marine trout contribute about 1%.
The Pacific oysters and Manila clams dominate the shellfish
aquaculture harvest. However, technology advances in Japanese scallop,
gallo mussel and geoduck clam culture has increased the production for
these species in recent years. Other species such as abalone, blue
mussels and sea urchins are potential aquaculture species for the
future.
Almost all the aquaculture harvest from the freshwater industry is
rainbow trout. This is done either for the retail food market, or by the
recreational fee-fishing industry. The Arctic char was introduced to
some British Columbia farms with commercial harvest beginning in 1991.
Other potential species for freshwater aquaculture include the white
sturgeon, carp, tilapia and other trout species.
The British Columbia food industry plays a significant role in the
provincial manufacturing economy. It contributes about $1.9 billion to
the provincial Gross Domestic Product (GDP), just over 6% of the total
provincial GDP contributed by goods-producing industries in
British Columbia, and is ranked the third highest among manufacturing
industries.
The British Columbia food industry is dominated by a large number of
small and medium sized firms which provide the industry with operational
flexibility in responding to shifts in consumer tastes and preferences.
Each firm has less than 50 employees.
The diversity of British Columbia's primary production, 200 major
agricultural and 80 seafood commodities, provides a broad foundation
upon which the British Columbia food industry is able to specialize in
and produce a wide selection of products for domestic and export
markets.
Fish, dairy, poultry, meat and beverages sectors have historically
represented the largest share of the total value of manufactured
shipments of the British Columbia food industry. Other smaller sectors
are contributing an increasing proportion of value added through the
production of specialty food products.
An estimated 55% of all food processing firms are located in the
Greater Vancouver area and the nearby Fraser Valley. Another 30% of food
processing firms are located in the Okanagan Valley and the coastal
regions. The majority of food processors are located in close proximity
to the population and raw material supplies and are well positioned
geographically to benefit from new marketing opportunities in the U.S.
and Pacific Rim markets.
Raw materials and supplies (including packaging) comprise the most
significant component of input cost in the food industry at about 64% of
the value of food production. The wages and salaries category averages
about 11%; the energy category 2%; and the rest 23%.
Labour productivity in the British Columbia food industry is
generally higher than in the Canadian food industry, and substantially
higher than in most manufacturing industries in British Columbia. The
hourly wage rate for labour in the British Columbia food industry is
generally higher by approximately 15% compared to Canada.
The British Columbia food industry is well positioned to
substantially increase and exploit its domestic and export markets
potential. Such a potential is due to its excellent transportation and
communication infrastructure, established supporting industries,
abundant energy, water and other natural resources, a diversified
agricultural base, and its strategic location on the Pacific Rim--one of
the fastest growing market regions in the world. It can also play an
important role in the movement of commodity and food products from other
parts of Canada to the world market.
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