Canada wheat area up, canola down from 2014

Canadian farmers in 2015 indicated they intend to plant more wheat, oats, barley and corn but less canola and soybeans than in 2014, amid the best planting conditions in three years, Statistics Canada said in its April 23 Principal Field Crop Areas report.

Farmers indicated they intend to plant 24,765,000 acres of all wheat in 2015, up 4% from 23,835,000 acres as the final 2014 area, Stats Canada said. The 2015 number was well above the average of trade expectations near 24.2 million acres.
Durum planted area was forecast at 5,500,000 acres, up 16% from 4,750,000 acres in 2014 and also above the trade average estimate of 5.3 million acres.

Area planted to spring wheat other than durum was forecast at 18,004,000 acres, up 3% from 17,409,000 acres in 2014 and slightly above the average trade estimate of 17.9 million acres.

Winter wheat area seeded in 2014 for harvest in 2015 was estimated at 1,261,000 acres, down 25% from a year earlier.

Canola planted area is expected to be 19,416,000 acres, down 4% from 20,325,000 acres in 2014. The number was below trade expectations that averaged 20.2 million acres. Area planted to canola was expected to decline 4% in top-producing Saskatchewan and 8% in Alberta but increase 2% in Manitoba.

Oats planting intentions were 3,645,000 acres, up 30% from 2,798,000 acres in 2014 and well above trade expectations that averaged 3.1 million acres.

Barley plantings were seen at 6,478,000 acres, up 10% from 5,880,000 acres in 2014 and below trade expectations of 6.7 million acres.

Farmers indicated they intend to plant 5,375,000 acres to soybeans, down 3% from a record 5,562,000 acres planted last year and below the trade average expectation of 6 million acres.

Flaxseed area was forecast at 1,630,000 acres, up 5% from 1,555,000 acres in 2014. The number was below trade estimates that averaged 1.7 million acres.

Corn planted area was forecast at 3,268,000 acres, up 6% from 3,078,000 acres in 2014 and near trade expectations that averaged 3.1 million acres.

Dry field pea area was seen at 3,830,000 acres, up 1% from 2014. Lentil area was forecast at 3,350,000 acres, up 8%.

“According to industry reports, seeding conditions are seen to be favorable overall, after two years of late seedings in 2013 and 2014,” Stats Canada said. About 11,500 farmers were surveyed from March 18-31 for the 2015 planting intentions, the agency said.