About Agriculture in Richmond
Agriculture is an important part of Richmond’s history. Early settlers were attracted to Richmond by the fertile soils of Lulu and Sea Islands and promise of agricultural productivity.
Over the years, Richmond has grown and evolved into a vibrant, cosmopolitan urban centre. Despite the dramatic changes, a significant portion of Richmond’s land area remains agricultural. Today, agriculture forms an important part of the local and regional economy as well as a major land use in the city.
The Agricultural Land Base
Approximately 4,916 ha (12,147 acres) of Richmond’s land base, or 38% of the City, is within the Agricultural Land Reserve (ALR) as shown in Figure 1.
Figure 1: Richmond’s Agricultural Land Reserve
Table 1 below shows that the amount of land in the ALR has remained relatively stable in the last 10 years.
Table 1: Total ALR land in Richmond (in hectares)
Much of Richmond’s soils are organic, formed by fluvial (river) deposits of the Fraser River. Drainage is a major issue in Richmond, where the groundwater table is high. However, with improvements (mainly drainage), all of Richmond’s ALR is considered to be prime agricultural land.
Farms
Approximately 3,012 ha (7,442 acres) of Richmond is farmed by 247 farms. The remaining lands in the ALR are either vacant or occupied by non-farm uses (including roads, institutional uses, golf courses, etc. The number of farms has been steadily declining since 1961.
The greatest number of farms are owned by sole proprietors (104), with family farms and partnerships also common (67 and 54, respectively).
Farmers
There were approximately 350 farm operators in Richmond in 1991. An additional 32,184 weeks of paid labour was hired to work on farms.
Agricultural Production
Cranberries are the most dominant crop in Richmond, with almost 800 ha (1,977 acres) in production. In 2001, Richmond accounted for approximately 47% of BC’s cranberry acreage.
Other top crops in Richmond are outlined in Table 3 below:
Table 2: Richmond’s Top Crops by Land Used in Their Production
| Land Used in Crop Production - Top 10 |
|
hectares |
% of crops |
% of |
% of ALR | |
|
Cranberries |
854 |
36.6% |
28.4% |
17.4% |
|
Other hay |
429 |
18.4% |
14.2% |
8.7% |
|
Blueberries |
335 |
14.4% |
11.1% |
6.8% |
|
Potatoes |
148 |
6.3% |
4.9% |
3.0% |
|
Alfalfa |
72 |
3.1% |
2.4% |
1.5% |
|
Sweet Corn |
65 |
2.8% |
2.2% |
1.3% |
|
Oats |
63 |
2.7% |
2.1% |
1.3% |
|
Strawberries |
48 |
2.1% |
1.6% |
1.0% |
|
Squash, pumpkins, zucchini |
37 |
1.6% |
1.2% |
0.8% |
|
Cabbage |
30 |
1.3% |
1.0% |
0.6% |
|
Total |
2081 |
89.2% |
69.1% |
42.3% |
Agricultural Economy
The 182 farms that reported in the 2001 Census of Agriculture recorded gross farm receipts of $37.6 million. This is a decline from $56.3 million of gross farm receipts reported by 247 farms in 1996.
Towards A Viable Future
The viability of farming in Richmond faces a number of challenges, including:
- Drainage
- Pressure to urbanize the ALR
- Pressure to subdivide land within the ALR
- Rural/urban conflicts
- High land values
- Economics of farming
- Service and infrastructure limitations
In 1999, after the adoption of the City’s current Official Community Plan (OCP), the City embarked on a process to develop an Agricultural Viability Strategy (AVS) in order to manage the agricultural areas for long-term viability. The four-year process, which was carried out in partnership with the Richmond Farmers Institute, Agricultural Land Commission and Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Fisheries, included extensive consultation with the local farming community. The results of the process are outlined below:
Agricultural Survey (1999)
This survey was conducted to gather public opinion on how to achieve enhanced viability on Richmond’s agricultural lands. Public open houses were subsequently held during 2000. The results are contained in the Public Input Report.Agricultural Profile (2002)
The Profile is a compendium of statistics and information about the agricultural sector in Richmond. It is largely compiled from the Census of Agriculture.Agricultural Viability Strategy (2003)
The AVS contains over 60 recommendations designed to:
(i) Foster and maintain agricultural viability;
(ii) Address the key issues facing the agricultural sector in Richmond; and
(iii) Work within the framework of a 2021 vision and guiding principles for the future.
Agricultural Advisory Committee
One of the first recommendations of the AVS to be implemented was the formation of a new Agricultural Advisory Committee (AAC) in 2003. The AAC, which consists of 9 citizens (7 of whom are farmers), will provide input and advice from an agricultural perspective on a range of policy issues and development proposals that affect agriculture. The AAC will also monitor and guide implementation of the AVS.
For information about the Agricultural Advisory Committee or land use policies in the ALR, please contact:
Kevin Eng
Planner, City of Richmond
604-247-4626
