As N.S. farmers struggle, report urges steps to help increase stagnant local sales

Nova Scotia farmers who are struggling to break even could benefit from selling more produce in local markets, says a new study released Thursday.

The report titled, “Growing at Home: Nova Scotia local food and agriculture report” was completed by the Ecology Action Centre, the province’s largest environmental group, using academic research and data from Statistics Canada.

It says the province’s farming industry has been losing money between 2017 and 2024. Last year alone, the overall industry deficit was more than $41 million. The study concludes farmers in Nova Scotia are facing some of the biggest deficits in the country — as their production expenses are often higher than the revenues their crops and livestock bring in.

Lead author Vicki Madziak also documented a steep, 29 per cent decline between 2011 and 2021 in the total land used for farming.

“We know that farms across the country are struggling, but this has been a persistent issue for a long time in Nova Scotia,” said Madziak in a telephone interview Thursday.

“We’re seeing a lot of concerning trends.”

The report says if the province wants a food system that withstands shocks like climate change and economic tariffs, more investment is needed in encouraging local sales of farmers’ produce.