Canadian canola acres up from earlier forecast

Canadian farmers seeded more canola in 2021 than originally intended, with a number of other crops also seeing adjustments higher as dry weather through the planting season allowed for a fast seeding pace.

Total canola planted area was pegged at 22.5 million, which was up by roughly a million acres from an earlier forecast. That compares with the 20.8 million acres seeded a year ago and the five-year average of 21.7 million acres.

“High global demand for oilseeds likely contributed to farmers’ decision to plant more canola,” said Statistics Canada, adding that prices are expected to remain high through the year.

Total wheat area in the country was estimated at 23.4 million acres, up by about 100,000 from the earlier forecast but still below the 25.0 million seeded in 2020.

“Dry conditions were a concern for farmers in parts of Western Canada throughout seeding and into the start of the growing season,” said Statistics Canada.

“Precipitation at the start of the growing season was well below average, and although much of the Prairies have received some precipitation throughout May, lower than normal soil moisture continues to be a concern. Dry conditions did allow producers to begin planting early, with provincial reports indicating that seeding progressed at a relatively fast pace.”

Pea and lentil seedings were also revised higher from the earlier estimate, at 3.8 million and 4.3 million acres respectively, both of which would be in line with the five-year averages.

Barley and oat acres were both down slightly from the April report, but at 8.3 million acres the barley area would still be well above the five-year average of 6.8 million.

The following table is a recap of Statistics Canada’s acreage report as of June 2021. April estimates, year-ago acreage and the five-year averages are provided for comparison purposes. Figures are in million acres.