Farmers produced 21.3 million tonnes of canola in 2017
By Diego Flammini
News Reporter
Farms.com
Canola production has risen across Canada by nearly 9 per cent since last year, according to the latest figures from Statistics Canada.
Despite average canola yield being down in 2017 to 41 bushels per acre (bu/ac) compared to 42.3 bu/ac recorded in November 2016, Canadian growers produced a successful canola crop.
Canadian farmers produced 21.3 million tonnes of canola this year. That number is up 8.7 per cent from 19.6 million tonnes in 2016, according to Stats Canada. The total acreage also increased 14.1 per cent from last year.
Canola growers across Western Canada played a large part in the national growth.
Canola production rose by 20.7 per cent in Manitoba to a total of 3.1 million tonnes. The average canola yield in Manitoba was 44 bu/ac.
In Alberta, the canola crop grew by 10.9 per cent to 6.8 million tonnes. The average canola yield in the province dropped to 43.7 bu/ac in 2017 from 46.4 bu/ac last year.
And in Saskatchewan, the canola crop grew by 4.7 per cent to 11.2 million tonnes in 2017. The average canola yield fell to 38.9 bu/ac in 2017 from 41.2 bu/ac in 2016.
But a 14.2 per cent increase in harvested acres in 2017 helped producers in Saskatchewan make up for the lower average yield.
Wheat production is also up across the country, according to Stats Canada.
It estimate the total wheat crop will rise by 15 per cent from 2016 to 31.7 million tonnes. And this growing season would be the second time in five years that wheat production has exceeded 30 million tonnes.
Most farmers in Western Canada experienced increases in wheat production, which helped the national figures rise.
Wheat production in Alberta rose slightly by to 10 million tonnes, according to Stats Canada. Harvested acreage rose by 10.7 per cent to 7 million acres but average yield fell to 52.6 bu/ac this year.
Manitoba’s wheat production increased by 3.6 per cent to 4.4 million tonnes in 2017. Harvested acreage fell to 2.7 million acres this year, but a 12.6 increase in average yield to 42.2 bu/ac contributed to the higher output.
Farmers in Saskatchewan, however, didn’t experience an increased wheat yield.
Stats Canada estimates the total wheat yield in Saskatchewan to be about 12.9 million tonnes, which is down 11.3 per cent from last year. A 10.8 per cent decrease in average yield to 42.2 bushes per acre in 2017 contributed to the lower yields.