Stocks of principal field crops, July 31, 2023
Released: 2023-09-08
Total stocks of canola, barley, oats and dry peas were all up as of July 31 compared with the same date in 2022, while wheat and lentil stocks were down. Higher stocks were largely the result of higher total supply in the 2022/2023 crop year, driven by higher production in 2022, as growing conditions in Western Canada were generally more favourable than in 2021.
Wheat
Total stocks of wheat fell 2.2% year over year to 3.6 million tonnes as of July 31, despite higher total supplies (+33.4% to 38.1 million tonnes). Commercial stocks were unchanged, at 2.7 million tonnes, while on-farm stocks fell 8.2% to 875 000 tonnes. Compared with the same date in 2022, wheat excluding durum rose 3.1% to 3.2 million tonnes, while durum wheat stocks fell 30.4% to 396 000 tonnes.
As of July 31, 2023, deliveries of wheat off-farm rose 45.9% year over year to 31.3 million tonnes. Larger total supplies also allowed for higher wheat exports, which increased 69.5% to 25.5 million tonnes.
Canola
Total stocks of canola increased 13.7% to 1.5 million tonnes as of July 31. The increase was a result of higher commercial stocks (+59.9% to 1.0 million tonnes), while on-farm stocks fell (-28.8% to 493 000 tonnes).
Higher total supply of canola for the 2022/2023 crop year (+24.9% to 20.1 million tonnes) drove the increase in total stocks. As of July 31, larger supplies allowed for higher deliveries of canola (+28.5% to 18.5 million tonnes) and industrial use, largely for crushing, which rose 16.4% to 10.0 million tonnes. Exports also rose, increasing 51.4% to 7.9 million tonnes.
Dry peas and lentils
Total stocks of dry peas rose 46.9% year over year to 498 000 tonnes as of July 31. On-farm stocks rose 94.8% to 300 000 tonnes, while commercial stocks increased 7.0% to 198 000 tonnes. Exports of dry peas rose 33.5% to 2.6 million tonnes.
Stocks of lentils totalled 147 000 tonnes as of July 31, down 34.1% from the same date in 2022, as on-farm stocks fell 68.5% to 28 000 tonnes, while commercial stocks fell 11.2% to 119 000 tonnes. Year over year, as of July 31, 2023, exports increased 40.8% to 2.3 million tonnes.
Barley
Barley stocks rose as of July 31, up 30.4% from the previous crop year to 708 000 tonnes. The increase was attributable to higher on-farm stocks (+71.9% to 557 000 tonnes), offsetting lower commercial stocks (-30.6% to 152 000 tonnes).
Deliveries of barley off farm increased 22.7% to 5.0 million tonnes as of July 31, while exports were up 50.0% year over year to 4.0 million tonnes. Barley used largely for feed purposes rose 31.0% to 5.5 million tonnes.
Oats
Total stocks of oats were up 282.9% year over year to 1.3 million tonnes as of July 31 because of higher production in 2022. Both commercial stocks (+184.2% to 486 000 tonnes) and on-farm stocks (+387.0% to 789 000 tonnes) contributed to the increase.
As of July 31, 2023, oat exports rose 16.2% to 2.7 million tonnes, as did oats used for animal feed (+104.8% to 1.4 million tonnes).
Note to readers
Data on stocks of principal field crops held on farms on July 31, 2023, came from the June Field Crop Survey, which surveyed approximately 25,000 Canadian farmers from May 15 to June 12, 2023. Final estimates of on-farm stocks are produced as part of a supply and disposition exercise, which includes data related to commercial stocks as of July 31.
Data on commercial stocks of western major crops originate from the Canadian Grain Commission. Data on commercial stocks of special crops originate from a survey of handlers and agents of special crops.
National supply and disposition tables for the major grains and special crops are published jointly with the current release on stock levels and are available online in data tables 32-10-0013-01 and 32-10-0015-01.
Stock data are subject to revision during the two years following their initial publication.
Stock data on corn for grain and soybeans as of August 31 will be available on October 10, 2023, which corresponds to the end of the crop-year cycle for these two crops.
Readers are invited to visit the Agriculture and food statistics portal for more data related to agriculture and food published by Statistics Canada.
Contact information
For more information, or to enquire about the concepts, methods or data quality of this release, contact us (toll-free 1-800-263-1136; 514-283-8300; infostats@statcan.gc.ca) or Media Relations (statcan.mediahotline-ligneinfomedias.statcan@statcan.gc.ca).
- Date modified: