July 16, 2004

Canada's Ontario Winter Wheat Production Down From Last Year

Canada Ontario's 2004/05 winter wheat crop is expected to produce between 1.3 and 1.5 million metric tons, down from 2 million tons in 2003-04, an official with the Ontario Wheat Producers said. However, the crop will still be larger than the 10-year average, he said.

Dana Omland, marketing manager with the Ontario Wheat Producers Marketing Board, said the 2003 crop was a record, with 2 million metric tons of winter wheat produced on 1 million acres.

The 2004 crop area was expected to be between 700,000 to 750,000 acres, which would produce 1.3 million to 1.5 million tons. The lower acreage in 2004 was due to crop rotation and farmers switching into soybeans.

Approximately 700,000 tons will be used by Ontario millers, and 300,000 will be used for feed. A soft red wheat miller in Toledo, Ohio, typically purchases 200,000 tons of Ontario winter wheat. Another 100,000 tons usually goes into the U.S. market, he said.

Omland said the wet spring in southwestern Ontario may have negatively affected the quality of the winter wheat crop in the region. However, he was optimistic that the rest of the crop will be in good condition.

The winter wheat harvest was just getting underway in one county in the southwestern corner of Ontario. Approximately 20% of the crop has been harvested there, and the quality wasn't looking good, he said.

"It's tough to say if that's indicative of what the whole crop is going to be like. They had a lot of moisture in the southwest, a lot more than some of the northern winter wheat areas. We're going to have to wait and see," Omland said.

There were also indications of fusarium problems with the crop that has been harvested so far, he noted.

Omland said the harvest in the north will get underway in another three weeks or so. The crop is currently experiencing favorable growing conditions, but heat units are still considered a bit low. He said the crop, on average, was a week or two behind normal.

The varieties of wheat grown in Ontario are 53% soft red winter, 20% soft white, 20% hard red winter and 7% hard red spring.