Canada Tops Foreign-Owned Ag Lands in U.S.; China Increasing - Specialty Crop Industry (2024)

FAQs

How much farmland does Canada own in the US? ›

U.S., U.K. companies own 63 percent of foreign-controlled assets in Canada, Chinese only 3.7 percent | Georgia Straight Vancouver's News & Entertainment Weekly.

Canada Tops List. Canada owns the most U.S. agricultural land among foreign countries, equating to 3.8 million acres, more than doubling Italy, which is second with 1.6 million acres. The country that Americans are concerned with is China.

As of year-end 2021, according to USDA, the states with the most foreign-owned agricultural acreage were Texas (5.3 million acres), Maine (3.6 million acres), Colorado (1.9 million acres), Alabama (1.8 million acres), and Oklahoma (1.7 million acres).

Canada has the largest total farm area per farm

This was followed by the United States (445.0 acres per farm), the United Kingdom (210.2 acres per farm) and Japan (10.2 acres per farm). Data from the 2021 Census of Agriculture show that Canada reported 189,874 farms and 153.7 million acres of total farm area.

Canadian investors lead this pack, by a long shot, with nearly 9.4 million acres of U.S. land — more acreage than 44 of the top 50 foreign landowners combined, according to the report. (These people own the most land in America.)

People own most farmland. Some 2.6 million owners are individuals or families, and they own more than two thirds of all farm acreage. Fewer than 32,500 non family held corpor ations own farmland, and they own less than 5 percent of all U.S. farmland.

The 2022 Land Report 100, compiled each year by The Land Report magazine, released its annual list of landowners who own the most acres in the United States. The nation's largest private landowners are the Emmerson family in California who own over 2.4 million acres.

Chinese consulate says international law makes it exempt

Also on the list is the People's Republic of China, which owes Toronto just over $723,000 for taxes, utility charges and penalties on a property at 50 Gervais Street, according to the report.

What does Canada rely on China for? ›

The welfare of Canadians is enhanced by importing consumer goods from China. The imports of intermediate and capital goods, particularly electrical equipment, are important inputs to Canadian production.

Canada has a GDP per capita of $45,900 as of 2020, while in China, the GDP per capita is $16,400 as of 2020.

The majority of all lands in Canada are held by governments as public land and are known as Crown lands. About 89% of Canada's land area (8,886,356 km²) is Crown land, which may either be federal (41%) or provincial (48%); the remaining 11% is privately owned.

What is the Largest Farm in the World? Did you know the largest farm in the entire world is bigger than 11 U.S. states? This massive farm dairy farm is located in Heilongjiang, China. Mudanjiang City Mega Farm has over 100,000 dairy cows and covers an impressive 22.5 million acres.

Highlights: Foreign Investment US Real Estate Statistics

From April 2020 to March 2021, investors from outside the United States bought 107,000 properties worth $54.4 billion in the United States. Foreign-born individuals make up 14.25 percent of the population in the country's 50 largest metros, on average.

The wealthiest farmer in the United States lives and farms in California. Stewart Resnick, 81, owner of The Wonderful Company and 65 percent of the nation's pistachios, has had a distinct and sweeping effect on agriculture in the Golden State.

The best states for farmland include Montana, Kansas, Oklahoma, South Dakota, North Dakota, Texas, Iowa, Kentucky, Wyoming, and California. Consider factors like profitability, cost of operation, infrastructure, and availability when selecting a location.

Texas had the most farms in the United States in 2021 followed by Missouri and Iowa. Texas accounted for roughly 12% of the farms in the United States in 2021. Thirty nine (39) states had 12,000 or more farms in 2021.

While there are similarities between the US and Canadian systems the differences are significant – in terms of production volume, markets served and the competitive landscape. The volume of grains produced in the US is almost six and a half times higher than Canada at 523 million tonnes.

Over the time period displayed, the total farmland area has decreased by almost 50 million acres, reaching a total of 893.4 million acres as of 2022.

Which country has the largest farmland in the world? ›

Foreign investors are not allowed to buy land in China. The land in China belongs to the state and the collectives.

Japan was the single largest overseas investor, constituting nearly 15 percent of total cumulative foreign direct investment holdings. Germany overtook Canada last year as the second-largest investor in the United States with 13 percent in FDIUS stock.

According to data from the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Foreign Holdings of U.S. Agricultural Land through December 31, 2021 report, Canadian entities own 12.8 million acres of U.S. land.

In the United States, 97 percent of all farms and ranches are family owned. Those farms and ranches are owned by individuals, family partnerships or family corporations. Just 3 percent are non-family owned corporations.

King Ranch, largest ranch in the United States, composed of a group of four tracts of land in southeastern Texas, totaling approximately 825,000 acres (333,800 hectares). The King Ranch was established by Richard King, a steamboat captain born in 1825 in Orange county, New York.

Which country has no debt? ›

At the end of 2021, of the 98 countries for whom data was available, Pakistan ($27.4 billion of external debt to China), Angola (22.0 billion), Ethiopia (7.4 billion), Kenya (7.4 billion) and Sri Lanka (7.2 billion) held the biggest debts to China.

However, this has declined over time, and as of 2022 they controlled approximately 25% of foreign-owned debt. As of January 2023, the five countries owning the most US debt are Japan ($1.1 trillion), China ($859 billion), the United Kingdom ($668 billion), Belgium ($331 billion), and Luxembourg ($318 billion).

China is the world's first or second-largest economy depending on the definition, and the largest global consumer and producer for much of what Canada exports. Its influence on global markets impacts Canadian exports regardless of whether they are in the Chinese market.

While the United States is much larger than its northern neighbor in terms of GDP, the average income per capita is similar in both places. While people generally pay more in taxes in the United States, Canada offers superior social benefits.

The United States GDP was $24.8 trillion in 2021. The United States has the largest economy globally and Canada ranks 9th at US$2.015 trillion.

Contrary to public rumors, at no time do Canadians "pay money" to Britain or to the Royal Family. The only tax dollars that are spent on the monarchy are for the Vice Regal offices and Royal Visits, much like we would spend on visits of other international dignitaries.

While Canada might not pay money directly to the monarchy, the country's ties to the House of Windsor could cost taxpayers more than $58.7 million per year.

Does Queen Elizabeth own all the land in Canada? ›

While Queen Elizabeth is mainly a legal figurehead in Canada, the vast majority of Crown Land in Canada is owned by the Crown as an institution. About half of the land is administered by the provincial governments and the rest by the federal government.

Worth – China is a world leader in agriculture production and supplies about 50% of the world's vegetables, producing 500 million tons. A large population is associated with agriculture in this country.

China is the world's largest grain producer, yet has grown more dependent on food imports in recent decades. Much of India's output is produced by subsistence farmers and consumed locally. The U.S. is the world's top food exporter thanks to high crop yields and extensive agricultural infrastructure.

The world has 15.749 million km(2) of arable land. (Arable land is land ploughed or tilled regularly, generally under a system of crop rotation). India has the most arable land in the world followed by the United States, Russia, China and Brazil.

Chinese buyers are returning to the U.S. housing market after a long lull, but recent efforts by several states to restrict certain foreign purchases could make homebuying harder for them. Why it matters: Chinese buyers spent $6.1 billion on existing U.S. homes last year, more than any other international homebuyers.

Chinese investors are among the top foreign purchasers of residential real estate, along with Canadians, according to the National Association of Realtors. Other states have had concerns over foreign ownership of land and have made efforts to regulate it.

According to data from the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Foreign Holdings of U.S. Agricultural Land through December 31, 2021 report, Canadian entities own 12.8 million acres of U.S. land.

Canadian investors lead this pack, by a long shot, with nearly 9.4 million acres of U.S. land — more acreage than 44 of the top 50 foreign landowners combined, according to the report. (These people own the most land in America.)

About 89% of Canada's land area (8,886,356 km²) is Crown land, which may either be federal (41%) or provincial (48%); the remaining 11% is privately owned.

Robert Andjelic is the largest private landowner in Canada, owning over 225,500 acres of land in Saskatchewan and leasing it to farmers for monthly rental payments.

Who owns the biggest ranch in the US? ›

The nation's largest private landowners are the Emmerson family in California who own over 2.4 million acres. The bulk of that land is dedicated to timber in Northern California. But the most headline-worthy transaction of 2022 was the Four Sixes Ranch in Texas.

“The Chinese Communist Party (CCP) has no business purchasing land near military bases or for agricultural purposes – or for any other reason,” said Rep. Bill Johnson. “It is a critical matter of national security that we prevent the CCP from buying large swaths of American land.

Indeed, while representing 4.9% of the total population, Indigenous peoples hold around 626 000 km² or 6.3% of the total landmass of Canada.

Chinese buyers comprise one of the largest groups of foreign buyers of residential property in the United States. Historically, between 20,000 and 40,000 residential properties were bought by Chinese nationals, but in 2022, both the sales volume and percentage of all foreign-bought properties declined.

Highlights: Foreign Investment US Real Estate Statistics

From April 2020 to March 2021, investors from outside the United States bought 107,000 properties worth $54.4 billion in the United States. Foreign-born individuals make up 14.25 percent of the population in the country's 50 largest metros, on average.

Chinese entities owned 42,596 acres of Missouri agricultural land as of 2021 — just a little under half of the roughly 100,000 agricultural acres owned by all foreign entities, according to the Missouri Department of Agriculture.

Machias Seal Island is an island in disputed water between the Gulf of Maine and the Bay of Fundy, about 16 km (10 mi) southeast from Cutler, Maine, and 19 km (12 mi) southwest of Grand Manan Island, New Brunswick. Sovereignty of the island is disputed by the United States and Canada.

Canadian real estate is much more expensive than US real estate, and some places even have taxes that will make it more expensive for Americans.

Broadly speaking, the Act prohibits "non-Canadians" from purchasing any residential property directly or indirectly from January 1, 2023, to December 31, 2024. The Regulation provides greater detail on five key elements of the Act.

Urbanization is one of the main culprits, as new subdivisions with low density rates are built on farmland every day throughout the province. Learn more about the impact of soil sealing in our blog about it here. The loss of our farmland will have negative impacts on both people and the planet.

Where is the richest farmland in the world? ›

Places with the richest soil in the world are Eurasian Steppe; Mesopotamia; from Manitoba, Canada, as far south as Kansas; the central valley of California; Oxnard plain and the Los Angeles basin; Pampas lowlands of Argentina and Uruguay.