A new web application recently released by Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC) allows users to access yield forecasts for barley, canola, oats, corn, soybeans, and more. But the app isn’t just limited to yield forecasts — the app can generate a large number of stats, based on the most recent data.
Catherine Champagne, manager of National Agroclimate Information Services at AAFC, recently joined Shaun Haney to talk about the new web app and how it works.
“When we first put this together, we have a large number of datasets that we wanted to bring together to model crop yields, which was our original intention,” says Champagne. “As we developed this model, we thought it’d be a good idea to bring it together into an application where everyone can go in and access that information.”
Data behind the app is compiled from AAFC (including the Prairie Pest Monitoring Network), Environment and Climate Change Canada, Statistics Canada, and from provincial governments.
Check out the full conversation between Champagne and Haney, story continues below:
Like any new application, there are kinks to work out — for example, the area/region choices are based on the Census of Agriculture regions, so it’s not possible to go down to, say, a municipality or section level. But, the app has gone through many iterations to reach the level of complexity it’s currently at and the kinds of information that can be derived.
The app can be considered as another tool in the toolbox for farmers and agronomists for planning next year’s crop, or for economists looking for information on historical yields or production averages.
Champagne and her team are looking for more feedback from farmers across the country. The app can be found here.
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