Study says weather boosted wheat in 2012
Harvest rose over 2010, 2011 statistics
Farmers harvested fabulous wheat and barley crops this year
JOHN DUVENAUD
Canadian wheat farmers harvested 7.6 per cent more of the grain this year than in 2011, according to a government survey, as favourable weather boosted production.
Farmers estimated they collected 27.2 million tonnes of wheat, up from last year’s 25.3 million tonnes and 23.3 mil- lion tonnes in 2010, Statistics Canada said today in Ottawa. The agency forecast Oct. 4 the wheat harvest would be 26.7 million tonnes.
Ample rainfall bolstered production in Canada, expected by the U.S. Department of Agriculture to be the world’s biggest exporter of wheat after the U.S.
“Farmers harvested fabulous wheat and barley crops this year,” John Duvenaud, the publisher of Wild Oats Grain Market Advisory in Winnipeg, said by telephone before the report. “The rains came just when the plants needed the moisture.”
The agency said durum out- put was 4.63 million tonnes, up from 4.17 million tonnes last year and from an October forecast of 4.40 million tonnes.
Statistics Canada said winter wheat output increased to 3.73 million tonnes, up 20.5 per cent from the prior year. Spring wheat output was 18.8 million tonnes, up from 18 million tonnes last year and compared with 18.6 million tonnes projected in October, the agency said.
Barley production rose 1.5 per cent to 8.01 million tonnes from 7.89 million tonnes harvested last year, Statistics Canada said.
Canola production fell 8.9 per cent from last year to 13.3 million tonnes, a drop from the 13.4 million tonnes estimated in October, according to Statistics Canada. Corn for grain output was pegged at a record 13.1 million tonnes, up from 11.4 million tonnes harvested in 2011.
Statistics Canada’s report is based on a survey of about 29,300 farmers conducted between Oct. 26 and Nov. 14.