Manitoba Agriculture, Food and Rural Initiatives

Grains and Oilseeds Commentary

This week, Statistics Canada released its estimates of producers’ seeded area, harvested area, expected yield and production for field crops as of mid-September.  Across Canada, canola production for 2008 is expected to reach 10.9 million tonnes, 1.4 million tonnes above the previous high of 9.5 million tonnes reported in 2007.  On the Prairies, production this year is expected to exceed previous records in all provinces.  Canadian wheat production in 2008 is anticipated at 22.2 million tonnes (excluding durum), up 35.6% from 2007 and easily exceeding the previous five-year average production of 19.4 million tonnes.  This improvement is attributable to increased yield and harvested area.

Production of canola in Manitoba for 2008 is estimated at just under 2.3 million tonnes compared to approximately 2.0 million tonnes in 2007.  This is resulting from a 19% increase in yield to 1900 kg per hectare from 1600 kg per hectare one year ago, although harvested area declined slightly to 1.2 million hectares.  Similarly, throughout the Prairies, an anticipated increase in yield in tandem with a slight increase in harvested area will generate record production.

Production of wheat in Manitoba this year is expected to rise close to 28.1% to slightly under 4.1 million tonnes, up from 3.2 million tonnes last year, as a result of an 18.5% increase in yield to 3200 kg per hectare compared to 2700 kg per hectare the previous year as well as an 7.8% increase in harvested area.

Manitoba’s barley production in 2008 is estimated at 1.1 million metric tonnes, down slightly from 1.2 million metric tonnes in 2007.  This decrease is primarily attributed to a 22.3% drop in harvested area, offset slightly by a 19% increase in yield.  Barley production across Canada is estimated at 2.8% above the 2007 level to reach 11.2 million tonnes, entirely due to improved yield.

Oat production in Manitoba in 2008 is anticipated at 1.1 million tonnes, down 8.3% from 2007.  This can be attributed to a slight decrease in yield and a 15.7% drop in harvested area.  Canadian production is projected at 4.3 million tonnes in 2008 with yields down 8.5% from 2007 and a 12.2% decline in harvested area.

Production of dry peas in Manitoba is expected to reach 120.5 thousand tonnes in 2008, up 23.3% from the previous year due to a 31% increase in harvested area, as yields remained relatively unchanged.  Nationally, dry field pea production is estimated at 3.5 million tonnes, up 20.7% from 2007 mainly due to a 15% increase in yield and 7.3% increase in harvested area.

Corn for grain production in Manitoba in 2008 is projected at 444.5 thousand tonnes, down 9.9% from one year ago mainly due to a 10.3% drop in harvested area while yields remained relatively unchanged.

Manitoba’s production of soybeans this year is estimated at 276.2 thousand tonnes, up 30.1% from one year ago, due entirely to a 33.3% increase in harvested area.  Production of sunflowers in Manitoba in 2008 is projected at approximately 127.7 thousand tonnes, a rise of 6.6% from 2007 mainly attributed to a 12.5% in increase in yield offsetting a 5.5% drop in harvested area.

TABLE: September Estimate of the 2008 Production of Principal Field Crops