Farmers Shift From Grains

OTTAWA - Jun 27/24 - SNS -- Canadian farmers have left total land in field crops virtually unchanged from last year, while increasing seeded area for soybeans, lentils, dry peas and oats, but reducing plantings of wheat, canola, corn and barley, according to Statistics Canada's June 2024 Field Crop Survey.

Estimates were based on a direct survey of around 25,000 farmers between May 15 to June 12.

Statistics Canada noted that conditions in Western Canada were drier than average over the winter, resulting in concerns about soil moisture leading into the 2024 growing season.

"However, beginning in April, most of the Prairies began receiving much needed precipitation. Widespread rainfall resulted in some seeding delays; however, precipitation has helped improve soil moisture conditions.

"Provincial reports indicated slower seeding progress compared with the five-year average, but most areas had been planted by the first week of June. In general, average temperatures across the Prairies were mixed, with some cooler areas receiving snowfall and near-freezing conditions during planting."

Keen Interest In Pulses

In 2024, Canadian farmers reported planting 4.2 million acres of lentils, up 14.8% from one year earlier and above the five-year average area. Producers may have opted to plant more lentils because of higher returns relative to other crops. Both major lentil-producing provinces reported higher seeded area, with that in Saskatchewan increasing 14.0% to 3.6 million acres, while that in Alberta rose 19.6% to 559,700 acres.

Nationally, farmers reported seeding 5.4% more area with dry peas compared with 2023, rising to 3.2 million acres in 2024. Dry pea area in Saskatchewan increased 8.7% to 1.7 million acres, while Alberta's area fell 1.4% to 1.2 million acres.

Canola Dip Offset By Soy

Farmers reported planting 22.0 million acres of canola in 2024, down 0.3% from the previous year.

In Saskatchewan, where more than half of Canada's canola is grown, farmers reported planting 12.1 million acres of canola in 2024, down 2.5% from 2023.

In Alberta, farmers reported planting 6.4 million acres of canola in 2024, up 0.4% from the previous year, while in Manitoba, farmers reported seeding 3.3 million acres, up 6.6% from 2023.

Soybeans

Nationally, soybean area rose 2.0% to 5.7 million acres in 2024. This is above the five-year average and the highest area since 2018. Producers in larger soybean-growing provinces may have opted to seed soybeans based on good prices relative to other crops, such as corn.

In Ontario, where the majority of the country's soybeans are grown, farmers reported planting 3.1 million acres of soybeans in 2024, up 7.1% from one year earlier.

For the second consecutive year, farmers in Quebec reported seeding a record soybean area. Soybean area rose to 1.1 million acres in 2024, up 6.8% from 2023.

Manitoba farmers reported planting less soybean area compared with the previous year, decreasing 10.6% to 1.4 million acres in 2024.

Reduced Grain Plantings

At the national level, farmers reported seeding fewer acres of wheat in 2024, down 1.1% to 26.6 million acres. Although this is down compared with the previous year, wheat area remained well above the five-year average of 25.0 million acres, possibly because of favourable pricing.

Lower total wheat area was driven by spring wheat (-2.8% to 18.9 million acres) and winter wheat (-5.8% to 1.3 million acres), offsetting higher durum wheat area (+5.5% to 6.4 million acres).

Producers in Saskatchewan reported planting 14.2 million acres of wheat in 2024, unchanged from the previous year. Spring wheat area fell 2.1% to 9.0 million acres but was offset by durum wheat, which rose 2.9% to 5.1 million acres.

In Alberta, wheat area was down 1.6% to 7.8 million acres in 2024. The decrease was driven by spring wheat area, which decreased 4.9% to 6.5 million acres, while durum wheat area rose 19.4% to 1.2 million acres.

Manitoba producers reported that total wheat seeded area decreased 1.4% to 3.2 million acres in 2024.

Farmers reported planting 6.4 million acres of barley in 2024, down 12.8% from one year earlier. Lower barley area was led by Saskatchewan, where producers reported seeding 2.3 million acres, down 17.5% from the previous year. Barley area also decreased in Alberta, declining 8.6% to 3.5 million acres, while the area decreased 24.9% to 311,200 acres in Manitoba.

Farmers reported planting 14.9% more oat area in 2024, rising to 2.9 million acres. Producers likely opted to seed more oats because of low stocks, as a result of low production in 2023, and good returns relative to other field crops.

In Saskatchewan, the largest oat-producing province, planting rose 22.3% to 1.3 million acres in 2024. Producers also reported higher areas in Alberta (+13.0%) and Manitoba (+11.3%).

At the national level, farmers reported seeding less corn for grain in 2024, falling 4.8% from the previous year to 3.6 million acres.

In Ontario, where roughly 60% of all corn for grain is grown, farmers reported a 4.6% decrease in seeded area to 2.2 million acres in 2024. Similarly, corn for grain area in Quebec dropped 2.1% to 879,000 acres compared with 2023, while the area in Manitoba decreased 10.7% to 494,600 acres.

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