Canadian farmers plant large areas of most key crops

Canadian farmers were making progress in planting record areas of corn and soybeans as well as larger areas of spring wheat, durum and oats than in 2012, according to the June survey by Statistics Canada.

Some acreage had not been planted as of June 10 because of excess moisture, but only canola and barley acreage was down from 2012.

Wheat

At the national level, total wheat area increased 9.3% from 2012 to 25.9 million acres in 2013. Spring wheat acreage accounted for most of the advance, up 12.6% to 19.1 million acres. Durum wheat increased 4.3% to 4.9 million acres.

In Saskatchewan, spring wheat acreage rose 14.4% to 9.7 million acres, while durum wheat was up 4.0% to 4.3 million acres. Spring wheat area also increased in Manitoba (+19.3% to 2.9 million acres) and Alberta (+7.3% to 6.2 million acres).

Canola

Producers reported 19.7 million acres seeded in canola, down 8.3% from 2012. This would represent the first decrease in canola acres seeded at the national level since 2006.

Saskatchewan was the largest contributor to the national decline, with canola acreage falling 8.0% to 10.3 million acres. Seeding was also down in Alberta (-6.5% to 6.1 million acres) and Manitoba (-12.2% to 3.1 million acres) compared with 2012.

Barley and oats

In line with results from the March 2013 Farm Survey on seeding intentions, Canadian farmers reported seeding fewer acres of barley, down 3.1% from 2012 to 7.2 million acres.

At the same time, land seeded to oats increased 18.1% to 3.4 million acres in 2013.

Corn for grain

Nationally, farmers reported seeding a record corn for grain area of 3.6 million acres, up 2.9% from 2012.

Quebec farmers planted 1.0 million acres of corn for grain, up 6.6% from 2012. However, the largest percentage increase came in Manitoba, where farmers reported a record corn for grain area of 365,000 acres, up 21.7% from 2012.

In Ontario, corn for grain seeded declined 1.6% to 2.2 million acres.

Soybeans

At the national level, soybean area rose 10.5% from 2012 to a record 4.6 million acres in 2013. This advance was mainly the result of a higher soybean area in Manitoba (+35.6%), where farmers reported seeding a record 1.1 million acres. This was the sixth consecutive increase in soybean area in Manitoba.

Soybean area also rose in Quebec, up 3.0% or 21,000 acres to 712,900 acres.

In Ontario, farmers reported a 1.5% decrease to 2.6 million acres.

Main crop areas in Canada (000 acres)

Crop	2013	2012	% change
Total wheat	25,906	23,706	+9.3
-spring wheat	19,073	16,939	+12.6
-durum wheat	4,880	4,680	+4.3
-winter wheat	1,953	2,088	-6.5
Canola	19,738	21,531	-8.3
Barley	7,175	7,405	-3.1
Soybeans	4,589	4,153	+10.5
Corn for grain	3,645	3,544	+2.9
Oats	3,371	2,854	+18.1
Dry field peas	3,370	3,340	+0.9
Lentils	2,455	2,515	-2.4
Flaxseed	1,135	980	+15.8
Source: Statistics Canada