Big Crops But No Surprises From StatsCan
The long-awaited 2025 yield and production estimates from StatsCan were released this week but were a bit anticlimactic; anyone looking for a surprise in the numbers would have been disappointed. Yes, crops were certainly larger this year but that was already expected. During harvest, reports of very large yields kept coming in, well above StatsCan’s August and September numbers. As a result, this month’s higher yield estimates from StatsCan were anticipated. In fact, it would have been a shock if the yield numbers hadn’t changed.
These latest estimates from StatsCan were based on a large farmer survey conducted in November and confirmed the positive harvest results. In fact, they may have understated the actual yields, as they sometimes do. The StatsCan numbers show the total 2025 pulse crop at 8.22 mln tonnes, a jump of more than 2 million tonnes from last year and the largest production since 2016/17. There were differences for each of the pulse crops though.
This year’s pea crop came in at 3.93 mln tonnes, up 31% from last year and 24% above the 5-year average. This increase from 3.00 mln tonnes in 2024 was the result of a 9% gain in seeded area and a 42.3 bu/acre yield, the highest since 2016/17. The StatsCan breakdown by type showed a larger percentage increase for green and “other” classes, up 38% and 44% respectively. The 185,000 tonnes of “other” peas (which include maples) was a record while green pea production of 582,000 tonnes was the most since 2020/21. Yellow pea production was up 29% at 3.17 mln tonnes, also the largest since 2020/21.
StatsCan reported 2025 lentil production at 3.36 mln tonnes, up 38% from last year and a new record. Seeded area was only 4% more than last year but the yield of 1,721 pounds (28.7 bushels) per acre was up 34% from last year and was the highest since 2013/14. StatsCan showed some very large differences between the various lentil classes, with red lentil production only up 1%, due to a drop in 2025 acreage. Meanwhile, both large green and small green lentil crops were new records, up 124% and 134% respectively while production of “other” lentils rose 186% from last year.
The sharpest increase in 2025 pulse production was seen in chickpeas, with StatsCan estimating the crop at 482,000 tonnes, 68% more than last year and 168% above the 5-year average. This record crop was the result of a combination of 13% more acres and a 50% jump in the 2025 yield at 1,970 pounds (32.8 bushels) per acre.
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