StatsCan estimates canola production at 12.6 million tonnes in final estimate for ’21

Not that this anecdote means anything to the markets, but Canadian farmers grew more corn than canola in 2021, thanks to record corn yields in Ontario and severe drought on the Prairies.

Canola production for 2021 was pegged at 12.6 million tonnes, with corn coming in at 14.0 million tonnes, in Statistics Canada’s final crop estimates for the year, published on Friday.

While the canola number is down drastically from the 19 to 21.5 million tonne range of the last five years, it was in line with what the market was expecting.

The spring wheat production estimate from StatsCan was more surprising, coming in higher than anticipated at 16 million tonnes. The average pre-report trade guess was 14.7 million tonnes in a survey conducted by Intellifarm. (see tweet below)

The 14 million tonne corn estimate was driven by a provincial record-high 175.2 bu/ac average yield and 9.5 million tonnes of production in Ontario.

Soybean production was estimated at 6.3 million tonnes, down 5.6 per cent from last year, largely due to lower yields in Manitoba.

As for pulses, pea production fell 51 per cent from last year to 2.3 million tonnes. Lentil production was estimated at 1.6 million tonnes, down 44 per cent from last year.

Barley production, meanwhile, fell 35 per cent to 6.9 million tonnes in 2021, while oat production decreased by 43 per cent nationally to 2.6 million tonnes.

The report was based on a survey of approximately 27,200 farms, with representation from each province, and was conducted from October 8 to November 12, 2021. The estimates are still subject to revision for two years.

Statistics Canada’s November estimates of production of principal field crops

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