By Alice McFarlane

Overall Canadian crop production lower for wheat, canola, barley and oats

Dec 8, 2023 | 4:03 PM

Roughly 27,000 Canadian farmers were asked about their 2023 crop and reported producing more corn for grain and soybeans, but less wheat, canola, barley, and oats in 2023.

Throughout the growing season in 2023, dry conditions across much of Western Canada contributed to lower yields compared with 2022. Warm and dry conditions allowed farm operators to complete harvests in a timely manner across most of the prairies.

In parts of Eastern Canada, adequate moisture and warm temperatures resulted in good yields, although some parts of Quebec and the Atlantic provinces may have been affected by above-average precipitation.

Wheat

Total wheat production fell by 6.9 per cent to 32.0 million tonnes in 2023, due to lower production in the Prairies, likely because of dry conditions. Yields were lower by 12.1 per cent to average 44.5 bushels per acre. That number was offset by a higher harvested area.

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Saskatchewan wheat production fell by 6.7 per cent to 14.2 million tonnes. Yields decreased by 12.4 per cent to 37.5 bushels per acre.

In Alberta, wheat yields decreased by 19.6 per cent to 44.7 bushels per acre because of dry conditions in parts of the province.

Wheat production in Manitoba rose 8.0 per cent to 5.1 million tonnes in 2023.

Canola

Canola production decreased by 2.0 per cent nationally to 18.3 million tonnes in 2023, driven by lower yields, which decreased by 4.9% to 36.9 bushels per acre.

Canola yield in Saskatchewan decreased by 8.4 per cent to 34.8 bushels per acre.

In Alberta, canola production fell 3.5 per cent to 5.4 million tonnes.

Farmers in Manitoba reported producing 3.5 per cent less canola in 2023. Canola yields in the province fell 0.2 per cent to 43.2 bushels per acre.

Corn

Nationally, the total corn for grain production rose 3.7 per cent to a record high 15.1 million tonnes in 2023.

Ontario farmers reported that harvested area edged down by 0.9 per cent to 2.2 million acres in 2023, while yields rose 3.0 per cent to 170.9 bushels per acre, bringing production up 2.0 per cent from 2022 to 9.6 million tonnes.

Corn for grain production in Quebec was down 6.1 per cent from the previous year to 3.3 million tonnes in 2023.

Manitoba farmers reported producing 1.8 million tonnes of corn in 2023, with yields down 8.9 per cent 128.4 bushels per acre.

Soybean

Soybean production increased by 6.7 per cent nationally to 7.0 million tonnes in 2023. Yields were unchanged at 45.9 bushels per acre.

Ontario, the largest soybean producing province, reported higher production, rising 1.0 per cent from the previous year to 4.0 million tonnes in 2023.

In Manitoba, yields fell 15.8 per cent to 36.2 bushels per acre but were above the five-year average. Production increased 18.8 per cent to 1.6 million tonnes in 2023.

Soybean production in Quebec rose 12.6 per cent from one year earlier to 1.3 million tonnes in 2023. The increase in production was the result of a 7.3 per cent increase in yields to 46.9 bushels per acre.

Barley and Oat

Barley production fell 10.9 per cent to 8.9 million tonnes in 2023. The decrease was driven by lower yields compared with 2022, falling 12.9 per cent to 61.3 bushels per acre, likely because of dry conditions in parts of the Prairies.

Total oat production decreased by 49.6 per cent nationally to 2.6 million tonnes in 2023, the lowest production in more than a decade. The decrease was a result of lower harvested area which fell 41.3 per cent to 2.0 million acres as farmers opted to plant less oats, likely because of high production in 2022. Yields also decreased in 2023, falling 14.0 per cent to 84.1 bushels per acre.

The survey was Canadian farms was conducted from Oct. 6 to Nov. 12. Farmers were asked to report their estimated seeded and harvested areas; yields; and production of grains, oilseeds and special crops.

-With files from The Canadian Press

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alice.mcfarlane@pattisonmedia.com

On X: @farmnewsNOW