Others are selling their land for income. It indicates a failure in the market. Every major indicator of farm viability is in decline. Many farmers feel trapped, Mr. Foster said. The report suggests the best way to make the agriculture industry viable is to pay farmers more for what they produce.
Consumers pay four times that at the retail level.
Apple growers are also struggling, with high debts and low returns, said Dela Erith, executive director of the Nova Scotia Fruit Growers Association. It's a common complaint that apple farmers earn one-third less than their costs Of production. Miss Erith knows first-hand the challenges facing the industry. She grew apples for four years before selling the farm to take a full-time job. If nothing changes, major sectors of the province's agricultural industry will disappear, the GPI Atlantic report warns.