Statistics Canada bumped up estimates for both canola and wheat production to record levels.
The September report used satellite imagery for its estimates while this new report contains information from producers and other boots-on-the-ground sources.
The canola estimate drew the largest pre-report interest. In September, Statistics Canada pegged canola production at just a shade over 20-million metric tonnes. The updated projection is a record 21.8 million tonnes or nearly 350,000 tonnes more than the previous high set in 2017. Despite lower harvested area “timely rain late in the growing season” helped push canola yields higher. The average national canola yield was 44.7 bushels an acre.
Breaking it down by province. Saskatchewan canola yields jumped 15 per cent to average 44.4 bushels an acre. Harvested area was up 0.7 percent, resulting in 12.2 million tonnes of canola. That was a 16.7 per cent increase over the previous year. Canola production in Alberta was up 13.4 per cent with an average yield of 45.4 bushels an acre. Manitoba farmers planted less canola meaning production only rose 3.6 per cent to 3.1 million tonnes. The average canola yield in Manitoba was 44.8 bushels an acre.
Total Canadian wheat production is pegged at 39.5 million tonnes, which is much higher than the 36.6 million tonne estimate in September. It also surpassed the previous record of 37.6 million tonnes in 2013. Spring wheat production is up 10.3 percent from last year to 29.259 million tonnes. Durum wheat production rose 11.8 per cent to 7.1 million tonnes with higher yields and higher harvested areas.
In Saskatchewan, lower harvested wheat area (-4.3 per cent to 13.5 million acres) was offset by an 11 per cent increase in yields. Production was up 6.1 per cent to 18.2 million tonnes.
As for the pulse crops, Statistics Canada says a new record was set for lentils at 3,363,000 tonnes, about 1.1 million tonnes above the five-year average. The Canadian pea crop was the largest since 2020 at 3-million 934 thousand tonnes.
Canadian barley production is pegged at 9.7 million tonnes—up 19.4 percent. The average yield was 79.4 bushels an acre and that more than offset lower harvested area.
Canadian oat production increased nearly 17 percent to 3.9 million tonnes with an average yield of 98.1 bushels an acre.
The StatsCan field crop survey went to more than 27,000 farmers and was conducted from October 3rd to November 6th. The link to the official news release is here and we have a chart below.
