Farming's power underrated

Page 9

When talking about big businesses in Alberta, farming often goes unrecognized for the true economic power it represents. Approximately 40 per cent of settlement and reserve land, 1.25 million acres, is suitable for agriculture, with growing potential as lands are cleared through logging.

The following are just a few facts about the business of agriculture.

Agricluture in Albertra accounts for:

- 30 per cent of the province's land base or

- 51.4 million acres, 21 million of those unimproved land

- Second larges teconomic activity, after food and beverage industries

- 43 per cent of Canada's beef cattle population in 1991 census

- 20 per cent of Canadian primary agricultural production with nine per cent of the country's population

- Almost 50 per cent of the nation's oat crop, 50 per cent of the barley crop, 33 per cent of the canola crop and 25 per cent of Canada's wheat crop.