Accelerated adoption of artificial intelligence could mark a major turning point for Canadian agriculture, according to a new report from Farm Credit Canada. Released July 16 in Regina and developed with Deloitte Canada, the report says AI has the potential to significantly boost productivity, resilience and global competitiveness across the sector — but only if adoption increases from today’s low levels. As of mid‑2025, just 1.8 per cent of Canadian agricultural businesses were using AI, compared to more than 12 per cent across other industries. Canada also ranks 25th globally in private agricultural R&D investment and trails its G7 peers in AI uptake.
FCC’s analysis points to Canada’s strong foundation — world‑class research capacity, a trusted food system and a growing ag‑tech ecosystem — but says systemic barriers continue to hold back progress. Rural connectivity gaps, talent shortages, capital constraints and historically unclear governance frameworks have all slowed adoption. The federal government’s new “AI for All” strategy aims to address many of these challenges, creating what FCC calls an ideal moment for the sector to accelerate.
The report outlines four key opportunities: strengthening data governance, investing in infrastructure and talent, aligning public‑private partnerships, and establishing clearer regulatory frameworks. Deloitte’s Tina Beaudry says AI is already delivering measurable value in areas like precision agriculture, animal health, genomics and robotics — and that broader adoption could unlock innovations previously out of reach.
FCC has committed $2 billion toward advancing ag‑tech and is coordinating a coalition pledging $5 billion in agricultural and food innovation by 2030. Through initiatives like AIVA, Root AI and AgExpert, FCC says AI can help farmers make better decisions, reduce input costs, improve yields and strengthen supply‑chain coordination.
