Production of principal field crops
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With harvest underway, the good mid-summer weather conditions have Western farmers anticipating increased production of canola, as well as higher volumes of barley and wheat compared with 2010. Farmers in Ontario and Quebec expect lower yields and a smaller crop of corn for grain in 2011, while Quebec farmers anticipate a record soybean production.
Total wheat production up
Total wheat production in the West is expected to reach 21.7 million metric tonnes in 2011, up 3.0% from 2010. Yield has been flat for the past four years and 2011 sees this trend continue with an anticipated yield of 40.1 bushels per acre.
The rise in production was mainly attributable to an increase in durum wheat. Durum wheat production is expected to increase 30.2% from 2010 to 3.9 million tonnes, on the strength of higher anticipated harvested area, up 27.5%, and in expected yield, from 36.1 to 36.9 bushels per acre in 2011.
Canola production expected to increase
Western farmers reported that canola production could reach 12.8 million tonnes, up 1.1% from 2010 production. The advance is the result of a record harvested area of 17.9 million acres, up 6.3% over 2010.
However, the expected yield of 31.6 bushels per acre represents a decline of 4.8% from 2010. Of the four western provinces, only Manitoba expects its canola production to decline from 2010 levels.
Barley production rises
Despite a lower harvested area compared with 2010, Canadian farmers anticipate that increased yields of barley will lead to a production of 7.9 million tonnes, up 3.8% or 292 600 tonnes from 2010.
Barley yields are expected to reach 62.5 bushels per acre in 2011, up 5.6% from 2010. The increase is concentrated in Saskatchewan, where production is expected to reach 2.5 million tonnes in 2011, up from 1.9 million tonnes in 2010.
Smaller corn for grain harvest for Ontario and Quebec farmers
In Ontario, production estimates for corn for grain were down 13.8% from 2010 to 6.7 million tonnes, the result of a 23.4 bushel per acre drop in yield to 140.6 bushels per acre. Harvested area should remain almost unchanged from 2010 at 1.9 million acres.
Similarly, Quebec farmers expect corn for grain production to fall 12.9% to 3.0 million tonnes in 2011, an anticipated decrease of 440 000 tonnes from the 3.4 million tonnes in 2010. The expected drop would primarily be the result of a 12.2% decline in yield to 130.0 bushels per acre, from 148.0 bushels per acre in 2010. The decline of 0.8% in seeded area for corn for grain represents the fourth consecutive year that Quebec farmers have seeded fewer acres to this crop.
Soybean national production expected to fall from record levels in 2010
At the national level, soybean production is expected to decrease from 4.3 million tonnes in 2010 to 3.9 million tonnes. Most of this decline comes from Ontario where, despite an amount of harvested acres virtually unchanged from 2010, yield is expected to drop by 5.5 bushels per acre to 40.5 bushels per acre. Manitoba farmers also expect a lower average yield, from 31.4 bushels per acre in 2010 to 25.7 bushels per acre in 2011.
Note to readers
The September Farm Survey of 14,100 Canadian farmers is a preliminary survey of field crop production in Canada. The survey was conducted from September 1 to September 9, 2011. Farmers were asked to report their estimated area, yield and production of grains, oilseeds and special crops.
Final production estimates for 2011 will be released on December 6, 2011, and will be subject to revision for two years.
Auxiliary data source: As an additional tool to assess the growing conditions of Canadian field crops during the crop year, readers are invited to visit the Crop Condition Assessment Program web application, where a vegetation index of the crop land can be monitored weekly.
Quebec farmers, however, are expecting a second consecutive record soybean harvest in 2011 at 820 000 tonnes, up 13 000 tonnes from 2010. The 14.6% increase in harvested area is expected to make up for the 11.3% decline in average yield.
Available on CANSIM: tables 001-0004, 001-0010, 001-0017 to 001-0020 and 001-0040 to 001-0043.
Definitions, data sources and methods: survey numbers, including related surveys, 3401 and 3465.
The publication Field Crop Reporting Series: "September Estimates of Production of Principal Field Crops," Vol. 90, no. 7 (22-002-X, free), is now available from the Key resource module of our website under Publications.
For further information, or to enquire about the concepts, methods or data quality of this release, contact Yves Gilbert (613-951-2577; yves.gilbert@statcan.gc.ca) or Craig Byrd (613-951-5138; craig.byrd@statcan.gc.ca), Agriculture Division.
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