FarmLink Marketing Expects Increase In Durum Acres

May 05, 2020

Some spring showers hit a number of areas across the prairies over the weekend.

Producers saying the rain was a welcome sight, but more will be needed.

There's still some harvesting activities continuing while seeding operations are just getting underway.

Neil Townsend, a Market Analyst with FarmLink Marketing Solutions held a ZOOM conference call last week with clients, media, and more.

He talked about FarmLink's acreage projections for Western Canada.

He says producers seem to be moving away from flax and peas and into lentils mostly because of prices noting that the biggest change is in durum.

"Durum acres are going to be up 13% year-on-year, all wheat is going to be down a little bit, mostly from winter wheat. We see spring wheat flat, canola we see up just a little bit. Some of the crops that people are moving away from right now they're moving away from flax, moving away from peas and into lentils, because of some of the prices."

Stats Canada will officially release its seeding intentions report on Thursday, May 7.

Meantime, Townsend says with the massive U.S. government support producers will likely stay-the-course when it comes to acreage.

He says they're farming for the government, not necessarily following the market influences, but the government is saying go ahead, and we'll keep you solvent.

"The takeaway is that the US farmer is going to be doing exactly what the US farmer likes to do and that's plant corn, plant soybeans and continue to grow those kinds of productions and really not take his foot off the pedal."

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