Opportunity Knocks On Farmers' Doors As Window For Canola Planting Opens

The planting window opens for canola September 10th and lasts only about 30 days, according to Ron Sholar of the Great Plains Canola Association, which means farmers need to be making some quick decisions on whether or not to add a canola to their rotation this year. Sholar says though planting intentions across the state are up and with good reason. He offered his outlook to Farm Director Ron Hays. 

 

“There’s some potential to make some profit on canola,” Sholar said. “Whereas we’re really struggling with our other commodities.”

 

Sholar reports that he has been in close contact with seed suppliers and says all the seed is booked and there should be plenty to go around for planting next month. Although, he says if you were late getting your order in, you may not get the particular variety for which you were hoping.

 

Sholar explained that back in 2014, canola acres in Oklahoma were up around 300,000. He says in 2015, the number of acres in canola was much lower. However, he says after hosting several educational events through the association, he believes attitudes have come back around and insists there are a lot of growers with a lot of interest and a lot of optimism about canola again. Admittedly, he acknowledges some of that is fueled by undesirable wheat prices, but nonetheless there is the potential for profit to be made off canola this year. He challenges farmers though not to take his word for it, but to use tools like OSU’s budget calculators and says to plug your own numbers in and find what works best for your operation. He believes that not only will farmers see the financial advantages of canola, but will also enjoy the benefits it brings to your fields down the road.

 

“We believe very strongly and there’s lots of evidence to prove it that growing some canola will make a grower a better wheat grower,” Sholar said. “It will improve yields; it will clean up some grassy weeds for which we have no other controls in wheat. This is an opportunity to clean those up, improve wheat yields by fifteen to twenty percent and even more sometimes and a better price than we’ve seen for some other things.”