December 8, 2011

 

Canadian wheat, rapeseed yield reach new heights

 

 

Canada's 2011 national wheat output has surpassed last year's, whereas the rapeseed crop hit record level, as stated by Statistics Canada on Tuesday (Dec 8) in its final crop production estimates for 2011.

 

Nationally, wheat production was up 9%, or 2.1 million tonnes, to 25.3 million tonnes over 2010. The average yield was 44 bushels per acre, up 5.5% from 2010, the report said.

 

Farmers reported record yields for wheat in both Alberta (49.1 bushels per acre) and Saskatchewan (38.6 bushels per acre). This drove total production up 20.5% to 11.5 million tonnes in Saskatchewan and up 9% to 8.9 million tonnes in Alberta.

 

A significant contributor to the overall production increase was durum wheat production, which increased 36.4% in Saskatchewan to 3.6 million tonnes and 47.1% in Alberta to 620,500 tonnes. These increases followed substantial declines from 2009 to 2010.

 

Rapeseed production increased 10.7% to a record 14 million tonnes in 2011 from 2010, the result of a 9.1% increase in harvested acres to a high of 18.3 million acres, and a 1.5% increase in average yield.

 

Rapeseed production reached new highs in both Saskatchewan, at seven million tonnes, and Alberta, at 5.3 million tonnes, driven by record levels of harvested acres in both provinces and a record yield in Alberta.

 

On the other hand, rapeseed production declined 25.3% in Manitoba, where farmers were unable to recover from early season flooding. This was the province's second consecutive decline in rapeseed production.

 

Soy production in Ontario, Quebec and Manitoba declined from record levels in 2010, primarily the result of lower yields. This occurred despite record harvested areas in both Manitoba and Quebec.

 

Ontario soy production amounted to three million tonnes, a decline of 2.7% or 81,600 tonnes from the all-time high set in 2010. The decrease was the result of a 2.4% decline in yield to 44.9 bushels per acre.

 

In Quebec, soy production declined 0.9% to 800,000 tonnes despite a record harvested area of 738,000 acres. The drop was the result of a 13.5% decline in average yield to 39.8 bushels per acre, compared with the record high of 46 bushels in 2010.

 

In Manitoba, farmers reported a record harvested area of soy for 2011. However, lower yields had an impact on production, which fell 5% to 413,700 tonnes.

 

With respect to corn for grain, Ontario production was down 6.6% or 508,100 tonnes from 2010 to 7.2 million tonnes. Quebec production of feed corn was down 14.1% or 480,000 tonnes to 2.9 million tonnes from 2010 levels.