StatCan canola estimate falls to 19.1 million tonnes

Sep 14, 2022

Statistics Canada released its August crop production estimate on Wednesday.

In 2022, Canadian farmers are projected to produce more wheat, canola, barley, oats, soybeans and corn for grain than they did in 2021, according to the most recent yield model estimates using satellite imagery and agroclimatic data.

Neil Townsend is chief market analyst with FarmLink Marketing Solutions.

"I think the one that will catch some headlines will be that canola was dropped by another 400,000 tonnes, so we're just over 19 million at 19.1 million. The wheat crop got a little bit bigger and the durum crop got a little bit smaller but the durum crop still isn't anywhere near the situation what would have been implied from the Saskatchewan government numbers that came out last week," he commented. "It's pretty much what we were expecting. Wheat crops, when they're good they tend to get bigger and that's what we've seen. I'm not talking about any particular farmer. The other crops, oilseeds and pulses, the anecdotal reports from our clients and other people out there is that sort of hit or miss on the yield. I'd say generally canola has sort of been a disappointing one this year, to see a smaller number is in line with maybe what we expected."

Canola yields are expected to increase 44.9% to 39.7 bushels per acre, still below the five-year average of 41.5 bushels per acre from 2016 to 2020.

Nationally, wheat production is projected to increase by 55.6% year over year to 34.7 million tonnes in 2022. The increase in expected total wheat production is largely attributable to spring wheat, which is anticipated to rise by 60.3% to 26.1 million tonnes. This increase is a result of higher anticipated yields (+42.4% to 53.7 bushels per acre) and harvested area (+12.5% to 17.8 million acres). Durum wheat yields are also anticipated to rise (+90.1% to 38.4 bushels per acre), contributing to higher expected production (+101.3% to 6.1 million tonnes).

Click here to see more...

Video: Evolution of Beef Cattle Farming

The Clear Conversations podcast took to the road for a special episode recorded in Nashville during CattleCon, bringing listeners straight into the heart of the cattle industry. Host Tracy Sellers welcomed rancher Steve Wooten of Beatty Canyon Ranch in Colorado for a wide-ranging discussion that blended family history and sustainability, particularly as it relates to the future of beef production.

Sustainability emerged as a central theme of the conversation, a word that Wooten acknowledges can mean very different things depending on who you ask. For him, sustainability starts with the soil. Healthy soil produces healthy grass, which supports efficient cattle capable of producing year after year with minimal external inputs. It’s an approach that equally considers vegetation, animal efficiency, and long-term profitability.

That philosophy aligned naturally with Wooten’s involvement in the U.S. Roundtable for Sustainable Beef, where he served as a representative for the Colorado Cattlemen’s Association. The roundtable brings together the entire beef supply chain—from producers to retailers—along with universities, NGOs, and allied industries. Its goal is not regulation, Wooten emphasized, but collaboration, shared learning, and continuous improvement.