Farm cash receipts in Canada fell 1.7 per cent in 2010, Statistics Canada says. (CBC)

A new study says farmers made less money in 2010 than they did the year before, but their incomes still exceeded the five-year average.

Statistics Canada reports farm cash receipts totalled $43.8 billion in 2010, down 1.7 per cent from a year earlier, but 6.7 per cent above the previous five-year average.

Farm cash receipts include crop and livestock revenues plus program payments.

Receipts fell in all provinces except Ontario (up 3.5 per cent), Newfoundland and Labrador (3.1) and Nova Scotia (2.9), the federal statistics agency said in a report released Wednesday.

The largest declines took place in Alberta (down 5.9 per cent) and Quebec (down 3.9).

In Saskatchewan, which has more farms per capita than any other province, receipts fell 1.4 per cent.

Market receipts, which include revenue from the sale of crops and livestock but exclude program payments, amounted to $40.7 billion in 2010, down 1.5 per cent from 2009.

Crop receipts declined 6.3 per cent to $21.9 billion in 2010, their lowest level since 2007, while livestock receipts increased 4.7 to $18.8 billion.

Program payments declined 4.5 per cent to $3.1 billion.