July 6, 2007

Canada growers abandon wheat in favour of other crops
 

Anticipating higher profits, Canadian farmers have abandoned spring wheat planting in favour of other crops such as canola and barley, according to Statistics Canada.

Spring wheat acreage in June totalled 15.211 million acres, down 18.8 percent from the same period last year, the agency said.

Apart from the hope of increased profits, rising fertiliser prices have also prompted farmers to grow other crops instead of spring wheat, while poor planting conditions have encouraged growing of shorter-season crops such as barley and oats as an alternative, Statistics Canada explained.

Canola and field peas have gained significant popularity among farmers in western Canada, while corn acreage has shot up in the eastern regions of Ontario and Quebec.

Domestic farmers planted 14.586 million acres of canola in June, up 17.4 percent on-year, amid expectations of favourable demand and higher prices, the agency said. In particular, canola acreage increased in Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba provinces.

Despite the reduced spring wheat area, total planting area for durum wheat increased by 26.9 percent on-year to 4.8 million acres in June.

Canada's grain corn acreage registered 3.474 million acres in June, up 28.6 percent from June 2006.