Higher sales of farm supplies powered wholesale gains in April: StatsCan

OTTAWA – Statistics Canada says wholesale sales rose 1.5 per cent in April to $49.3 billion, mainly due to a 48.5 per cent increase in sales of agricultural supplies.

Excluding that industry, overall sales were unchanged from March.

The second biggest advance was a 1.1 per cent rise in the machinery, equipment and supplies subsector, which partly offset a March decline.

Sales in the building material and supplies subsector rose 0.5 per cent and the motor vehicle and parts subsector gained 0.2 per cent.

The largest sales decrease in dollar terms came in the personal and household goods subsector, which dropped 2.2 per cent on lower sales in the pharmaceuticals and pharmacy supplies industry.

In April, seven provinces recorded growth in wholesale sales, including the four western provinces.