Model-based principal field crop estimates, July 2023

Sep 06, 2023

In 2023, Canadian farmers are projected to produce more corn for grain and soybeans, but less wheat, canola, barley and oats, compared with 2022, according to recent yield model estimates using satellite imagery and agroclimatic data. Decreased production for most crops was driven by lower yields because of dry conditions in Western Canada.

Across much of the Prairies, lower-than-average precipitation and high temperatures have resulted in poorer crop conditions than in 2022. In Alberta, provincial reports indicated that less than half (43.1%) of the total crop was rated as being in good to excellent condition at the end of July, well below the five-year average of (60.2%). In Saskatchewan, dry conditions continue to be a concern, most notably in the southwest and west-central regions. Provincial reports from Manitoba indicated that crop conditions in the province were generally good.

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Video: Why Invest in Canada’s Seed Future? | On The Brink: Episode 3

Darcy Unger just invested millions to build a brand-new seed plant on his farm in Stonewall, Manitoba so when it’s time for his sons to take over, they have the tools they need to succeed.

Right now, 95% of the genetics they’ll be growing come from Canadian plant breeders.

That number matters.

When fusarium hit Western Canada in the late 90s, it was Canadian breeders who responded, because they understood Canadian conditions. That ability to react quickly to what’s happening on Canadian farms is exactly what’s at risk when breeding programs lose funding.

For farmers like Darcy, who have made generational investments based on the assumption that better genetics will keep coming, the stakes are direct and personal.

We’re on the brink of decisions that will shape our agricultural future for not only our generation, but also the ones to come.

What direction will we choose?

On The Brink is a year-long video series traveling across Canada to meet the researchers, breeders, farmers, seed companies, and policymakers shaping the future of Canadian plant breeding. Each week, a new story. Each story, a piece of the bigger picture.

Episode 3 is above. Follow Seed World Canada to catch every episode, and tell us: Do you think the next generation will have the tools they need to success when they takeover? How is the future going to look?