Increased sales growth for Canada’s food and beverage sector: FCC report

Oct 03, 2023

Sales for Canada’s food and beverage sector are forecast to surpass $164 billion, exceeding initial projections by 3.2 per cent, according to the 2023 Food and Beverage Report: Mid-year update from Farm Credit Canada. While positive news, a number of considerations continue to weigh on the sector.

Both food and beverage manufacturers saw a strong increase in nominal sales in the first half of 2023, with an increase of 8.4 per cent for food manufacturing and 7.3 per cent for beverage manufacturing. Grain and oilseed milling, and bakery and tortilla products led in growth with increases of more than 15 per cent year-over-year. However, the growth rate in the sector is more modest when accounting for inflation.

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Video: Winter Canola Trial in Mississippi | Can It Work for Double Cropping? | Pioneer Agronomy

Can winter canola open new opportunities for growers in the Mid-South? In this agronomy update from Noxubee County, Mississippi, Pioneer agronomist Gus Eifling shares an early look at a first-year winter canola trial and what farmers are learning from the field.

Planted in late October on 30-inch rows, the crop is now entering the bloom stage and progressing quickly. In this video, we walk through current field conditions, fertility management, and how timing could make this crop a valuable option for double-cropping soybeans or cotton.

If harvest timing lines up with early May, growers may be able to transition directly into another crop during ideal planting windows. Ongoing field trials will help determine whether canola could become a viable rotational option for the region.

Watch for:

How winter canola is performing in its first season in this Mississippi field

Why growers chose 30-inch rows for this trial

What the crop looks like as it moves from bolting into bloom

Fertility strategy, including nitrogen and sulfur applications

How canola harvest timing could enable double-cropping with soybeans or cotton

Upcoming trials comparing soybeans after canola vs. traditional planting

As more growers look for ways to maximize acres and diversify rotations, experiments like this help determine what new crops might fit into existing systems.