"This 2012 report provides an economic overview of the Canadian agriculture and agri-food system. It is meant to be a multi-purpose reference document to provide:

•an introduction to the agriculture and agri-food system;
•a snapshot of structural changes that are occurring throughout the system in response to various factors; and
•background data and information to inform public discussions on challenges and opportunities facing the Canadian agriculture and agri-food system."

"The objective of this project is to develop a Western Canadian
corn market model to be included in the Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC), Food and Agriculture Regional Model (FARM). Corn has gained importance recently in the feed grain market in Western Canada. The substantial increase in livestock production, rise in malting barley exports, increased incidence of fusarium in Manitoba and the recent drought conditions have significantly contributed to the rapid reduction of the feed grain surplus in this region of Canada. As a result, corn imports from the United States have become the safety valve of this market in Western Canada. For these reasons, a detailed analysis of the Western Canadian feed grain and livestock markets cannot be undertaken without incorporating a corn component."

"In this report we investigate the price linkage between farm and retail prices for eight agricultural commodities in Canada: beef, pork, eggs, chicken, milk, cheese, butter, ice cream. Our purpose is to measure summary statistics, specifically elasticities, that relate the farm commodity to the retail commodity. The theoretical framework for this study is based on standard demand and supply relationships for both the farm and retail sectors, and the equilibrium is solved under general competitive conditions. The empirical model developed allows for non-market clearing conditions (i.e., inventories) and for dynamic adjustments to shocks in the farm and retail sectors."