Farmers expand wheat acres over pulse and canola production

Faced with lower prices for specialty crops and lower returns from canola, Canadian farmers are opting to grow more wheat than last year. Canadian farmers intend to plant almost 13 per cent more wheat this year than in 2017.

Spring wheat and durum seeding intentions increased in the March Statistics Canada planting intentions survey.

Farmers will seed 15.4 per cent more spring wheat for 18.2 million acres. In Saskatchewan spring wheat acres increase 15 per cent.

Durum acreage will increase 11 per cent to 5.8 million acres with Saskatchewan durum up 17 per cent to 4.8 million acres.

Winter wheat seeding will decline 10 per cent to 1.2 million acres.

The shift to wheat acres likely reflects lower cost of production and price outlook. The International Grains Council predicts world wheat production will decline by 4.5 per cent this year to 742 million tonnes with a possible world record wheat trade led by African and Asian imports.

Canola acres will decline seven per cent to 21.4 million acres with Saskatchewan reducing four per cent to 6.6 million acres.

In other cereals, barley acreage will climb 5.8 per cent to 6.1 million with seeding in this province up four per cent.

Oats acreage declines by 1.6 per cent to 3.1 million acres with Saskatchewan dropping almost seven per cent to 1.5 million.

Across Canada lentil and dry pea acres will decline, most likely from India’s import tariffs that have un- dermined prices.

Lentil acreage will fall 8.1 per cent to 4.1 million with dry field peas down 5.5 per cent to 3.9 million acres. Alberta farmers are cutting pea acres by 13 per cent.

Soybean acres are down across the country by 11.4 per cent from a record high 7.3 million acres in 2017. Manitoba farmers cut acres 14 per cent to two million. Saskatchewan acres are down 14 per cent to just under two million acres.

Grain corn acres will increase 5.1 per cent in Canada to 3.8 million acres. Manitoba farmers will plant 11 per cent more corn for a record 455,000 acres. Saskatchewan data was not provided for corn or lentils.

Ron Walter can be reached at ronjoy@sasktel.net