Uncertainty is the top issue, a survey of 417 farmers doing more than $1 million worth of business has found.
Canada’s trade disputes with the United Strares and China have made market volatility the biggest risk to their business for 2025.
At the same time, they recognize the need for improved education in finance, accounting and hedging strategies to help them achieve financial success.
In partnership with Stratus Ag Research, the Hebert Group commissioned the survey to assess the key risks facing farmers for the 2025 crop year and identify gaps in agriculture education. It also explored the role of government and policy.
Thirty-three percent of farmers surveyed ranked volatile commodity markets as the top risk factor, followed by 31 per cent choosing environmental factors.
When asked about the role of government, 38.8 per cent ranked the federal government’s international trade policies as the top threat to their business. However, they still look to the federal government for support when times are tough.
Thirty-four percent of ranked income support programs and subsidies as the number one priority.
“Agriculture has a love-hate relationship with the federal government. I think what we’re seeing is that farms don’t trust the government to accurately represent and protect their interest on the world stage and in accessing international markets,” says Kristjan Hebert, president of the Hebert Group. “The lack of federal leadership for agriculture over the last decade is starting to show its colours. Our next government needs to do better so farmers don’t need to rely as much on subsidies.”
In the education category, farmers expressed a need for more education in areas of finance/accounting (56.6 per cent), marketing/hedging (48.7 per cent), and agricultural trades (47.7 per cent).
Evan Shout, co-founder and lead coach at Farmer Coach said there is clearly a need for more education in finance, accounting and hedging, but “we also need more people in agricultural trades, the ‘doers’ on the farm. It’s projected that 85,000 farm workers will retire over the next six years, and farmers are concerned about the looming labour gap.”
Prairie farmers are more concerned than those in other provinces about weather and environmental factors. Access to land is also a priority for the next generation of farmers in the prairies, while access to capital seems to be top of mind elsewhere.
