April 14, 2009

Corn production in the eastern Canadian provinces of Ontario and Quebec during the 2009-10 season will be lower than the level harvested in 2008-09, according to updated supply/demand tables provided by the Ontario Corn Producers Association, or OCPA.

Imports from the US to Ontario will be up in 2009-10, but shipments to Quebec were seen declining.

Ontario and Quebec account for roughly 97 percent of Canada's total corn production.

Eastern Canadian corn production in 2009-10 was pegged at 383.7 million bushels by OCPA. This was unchanged from a February forecast but was down from the 394.1 million produced in 2008-09.

Ontario's corn output in 2009-10 was expected to come in at 243.6 million bushels, unchanged from February, but below the 2008-09 level of 270.1 million.

Quebec's 2009-10 corn output was projected at 140.1 million bushels, unchanged from the February forecast but up from the 2008-09 level of 124.0 million.

OCPA estimated that eastern Canada will need to import 83.0 million bushels of corn from the US in 2009-10. This would be unchanged from the group's February projection but up from the 2008-09 import level of 64.0 million.

Of the imports, Ontario's 2009-10 US corn needs were pegged at 65.0 million bushels. This was unchanged from the February projection but up from the 2008-09 level of 40.0 million. Quebec was expected to import 18.0 million bushels of corn from the US during 2009-10, which was unchanged from the February outlook but down from the 24.0 million bushels imported during 2008-09.

Corn exports from eastern Canada in 2009-10 were projected by the OCPA to total 14.0 million bushels, unchanged from February but down from last year's 21.0 million.

Of the exports, an estimated 4.0 million bushels will go to the US, OCPA said. This was unchanged from the February projection but down from the 2008-09 level of 7.0 million.

Exports to overseas destinations in 2009-10 were pegged at 10.0 million bushels, unchanged from the February forecast but down from 14 million last year.

Ontario's corn exports were pegged at 4.0 million bushels in 2009-10, unchanged from the February projection and below the nine million shipped last year.

Corn exports from Quebec in 2009-10 were pegged at 10 million bushels, unchanged from February but down from the 12 million seen in 2008-09.

Corn ending stocks in eastern Canada in 2009-10 were pegged by OCPA at 25 million bushels, down from February's estimate of 26 million but above last year's level of 20.3 million.

Ontario's corn ending stocks in 2009-10 were estimated at 18.4 million bushels, down from the February projection of 19.4 million but above last year's 14.8 million.

Ending stocks of corn in Quebec for 2009-10 were forecast at 6.6 million bushels, unchanged from February and above last year's total of 5.5 million.