Ontario wheat prices reached 52-week highs as the market incorporated a risk premium due to the uncertainty in production. Ontario farmers plan to increase corn acres by 5.4 per cent this spring; soybean acres will be similar to last year, according to Statistics Canada.

Quick look:

• Soybeans: When U.S. imports increase, that will indicate the top of the market for Ontario soybeans.
• Corn: Corn acreage in 2026 in Ontario is expected to rise slightly.
• Wheat: There are major concerns about the winter wheat crop in the southern U.S. Plains.

The world is no longer comfortable with past stocks levels of grains and oilseeds. The ongoing Russian-Ukraine conflict, escalating tensions in the Middle East and China’s heightened frustration over Taiwan have major importers increasing stocks for food security.

Soybeans

StatCan said Ontario farmers plan to plant 2.9 million acres of soybeans this spring, unchanged from last year. Using an average yield of 50.6 bushels per acre, production has potential to come in at four million tonnes, up from the 2025 output of 3.6 million tonnes. The year-over-year increase in production comes on the heels of historically low ending stocks in Ontario.

Commercial stocks in Ontario are declining and the market will function to encourage imports moving forward. Bids from the domestic crusher in Ontario need to be $0.50-$0.75/bu. or higher to attract supplies from south of the border. Domestic crush margins are at three-year highs so there is breathing room for stronger cash bids.

On the world market, Brazil’s soybean harvest progress has passed the halfway mark. Argentine farmers will begin harvest in the latter half of March and move into high gear during April. Brazilian soybean offers in export position are US$50/tonne discount to U.S. origin.

U.S. farmers are expected to increase soybean acres by four to five per cent this spring, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. The increase in U.S. soybean acres may have influenced Ontario farmers’ rotational plans.

Soybean futures reached 18-month highs during the first week of March. While the futures markets surged, basis levels deteriorated. This was largely fund buying. As of March 10, we estimated the non-commercial position in soybean futures was near 250,000 contracts — a historical high. When the speculative trade is this large, the market tends to decrease.

This week, we’re advising farmers to increase sales by 10 per cent, bringing total sales to 80 per cent for 2025 production. We’ll save the final 20 per cent increment until the upcoming crop is more certain. Secondly, when we see Canadian imports from south of the border increase, this will be the top in the Ontario soybean market.

Corn

Ontario farmers plan to plant 2.3 million acres of corn this spring, StatCan forecast, up from 2.2 million in 2025. Using a traditional abandonment rate and an average yield of 174.2 bu./ac., production has potential to reach 10 million tonnes, up from the 2025 crop of 9.5 million. The higher corn acres come at the expense of lower canola and spring wheat acres. Farmers are clearly responding to market signals.

Bids from ethanol processors are reaching three-year highs. Buying interest from feedlots and elevators sourcing for the export market have not increased to the same extent. To reiterate from our previous issue, Ontario corn ending stocks are expected to drop to historical lows at the end of the 2025-26 crop year. The market is functioning to ration demand by trading at a premium to the world market.

Canadian crop year-to-date corn exports for the week ending March 1 were 398,100 tonnes, down from last year’s number of 1.2 million tonnes. Northern European feed grain markets continue to be saturated with domestic wheat supplies.

Despite the rally in corn futures, export offers have only risen by US$2-$4/tonne. U.S. corn, f.o.b. the Gulf, was quoted at US$225/tonne while Brazilian corn was valued at US$226/tonne, f.o.b. Paranagua.

The seeding of Brazil’s safrinha corn crop is moving into the final stages. Total Brazilian corn production is expected to finish in the range of 130 million-132 million tonnes, down from the 2025 output of 136 million. Conditions are favourable in Brazil but we’re still expecting drier conditions to develop due to La Niña. Argentine farmers have started harvesting their record corn crop, which is expected to reach 53 million tonnes, up from last year’s output of 50 million tonnes.

U.S. farmers are expected to plant 94 million acres of corn this spring, down from 98.8 million last year. Missouri, Nebraska, Illinois and Indiana are experiencing drier conditions heading into the spring planting period. This is favourable for planting but timely rains will be needed or the corn market is moving significantly higher. The world cannot afford a problem with the U.S. corn crop.

This week, we’re advising farmers to increase sales by 10 per cent, bringing total sales to 80 per cent for 2025 production.

Wheat

Ontario farmers seeded 1.12 million acres of winter wheat last fall, down 64,000 acres from the fall of 2024. We continue to project an Ontario winter wheat crop of 2.5 million tonnes, down from last year’s output of 2.9 million.

Ontario farmers are only expected to seed 43,000 acres of spring wheat, down from 62,800 acres last year. This is a modern-day historical low.

U.S. hard red winter wheat was offered at US$281/tonne f.o.b. the Gulf on March 13, while U.S. soft red winter was quoted at US$263/tonne. French soft wheat was offered at US$245/cwt. f.o.b. Rouen. Russian 12.5 per cent protein was quoted at US$250/tonne f.o.b. the Black Sea. Ontario soft red winter was quoted at US$265/tonne f.o.b. the St. Lawrence port.

Conditions in Russia have improved over the past month and the crop will come out of dormancy in fair condition. We’re factoring in a minor year-over-year decrease in Russian and Ukrainian wheat production. The ongoing war will be a significant factor determining export potential.

In Europe, the winter wheat crop in northern regions has come out of dormancy earlier than normal due to warmer temperatures. Conditions are drier in parts of Germany, Poland, Hungary and Czechia. European wheat production will be down from last year but it’s hard to put a number on the crop size at this time.

The winter wheat crop in the U.S. southern Plains needs rain. There are major concerns in Oklahoma, Texas and southern regions of Kansas. If seasonal April rains do not materialize, there is a serious problem with the hard red winter wheat.

This week, we’re advising farmers to sell 20 per cent, bringing total wheat sales to 80-90 per cent. We need to be selling into this recent strength. The U.S. winter wheat crop will be down from last year but once harvest begins, the market will come under pressure.

The post Oil prices pull Ontario crop markets higher appeared first on Farmtario.

Corn: Tight stocks should mean good Ontario demand over the summer.

Soybeans: Export and domestic demand running the same as 2024-25, despite lower stocks.

Wheat: About 40 per cent of U.S. winter wheat is under drought conditions.

Ontario on-farm corn, soybeans and wheat stocks will drop to historically low levels at the end of the 2025-26 crop year. There is no cushion in Ontario if there is a crop problem.

The grain and oilseed markets are incorporating a risk premium due to the uncertainty in production. Ontario has received below-normal precipitation over the past 30 days. On March 5, Statistics Canada will release its first acreage estimate for 2026.

Canada, the U.S. and most of the developed world appear to be heading into a major inflationary period over the next couple of years. On a macro level, this is bullish for grain and oilseed markets. The world is no longer comfortable with past levels of ending stocks. Food security will be more of an issue given fresh trade alliances and deglobalization. If there are one or two problem areas in the Northern Hemisphere during the 2026 growing season, we are in for significantly higher prices. Fertilizer prices are back up to historical highs. Keep all this in mind as you read the following analysis.

Soybeans

Ontario farmers harvested 3.5 million tonnes of soybeans in 2025, down from the 2024 output of 4.3 million tonnes. Canadian crop year-to-date soybean exports for the week ending Feb. 15 were 3.5 million tonnes, up 100,000 tonnes from last year. Crop year-to-date domestic disappearance for the week, at 928,400 tonnes, was down 100,000 tonnes from the year-ago usage. Despite the year-over-year decrease in production, export and domestic demand is running at similar levels to last year. The Ontario domestic market needs to trade high enough to curb exports and to attract imports in the latter part of the crop year.

Finally, the Ontario soybean market needs to strengthen to encourage farmers to increase acreage this spring. At this stage, Ontario soybean prices need to move $1/bu. higher to pull acres away from corn.

U.S. farmers are expected to plant 85 million acres of soybeans this year, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. This is up from the 2025 planted area of 81.2 million. U.S. production has the potential to reach 121 million tonnes, up from last year’s crop of 116 million tonnes. Despite the increase in production, the carryout for 2026-27 will finish near 9.7 million tonnes, relatively unchanged from 2025-26 campaign due to an increase on domestic and export demand. There are some drier pockets developing in the U.S. Midwest and northern Plains moving into the spring period. The market will be extremely sensitive to yield and crop development.

U.S. soybeans continue to trade at a premium to South American origin as the Brazilian harvest moves into the final stages. The Argentine soybean crop will be harvested during March and April.

We’ve advised farmers to be 70 per cent sold on their 2025 soybean production. We continue to have a bullish outlook for the soybean market.

Corn

Ontario corn prices have been percolating higher. Certain ethanol processors are well covered for their nearby requirements but there appears to be significant open demand for May through August. We have a bullish outlook for the energy complex which will directly spill over into the corn market. Ethanol processors will have a hard time sourcing adequate supplies late in the crop year, given the tighter stocks situation. On a side note, feedlot operators also need to have full coverage through September. Higher fertilizer prices may hinder corn acreage this spring. New-crop prices will function to encourage production moving forward.

U.S. farmers are expected to plant 94 million acres of corn this spring, down from the 2025 area of 98.8 million, according to USDA. Using a trend yield, U.S. production has potential to finish near 400 million tonnes, down from the 2025 crop of 432 million tonnes. Minnesota, Nebraska, Missouri and Illinois are contending with drier conditions heading into spring.

Brazil’s second corn crop was about 50 per cent planted at the end of February. Conditions have been favourable for early crop development. Traders are concerned about drier conditions during April due to La Niña. The Argentine corn harvest will move into high gear during March. We’re expecting the corn market to develop a significant risk premium in late March and April.

Europe is the main destination for Ontario corn exports in a normal year. Currently, the Ontario corn market is premium to U.S. and French offers keeping Ontario corn at bay. Ontario corn prices will need to maintain a premium over the world market.

This week, we’re advising farmers to sell 20 per cent of their 2025 production bringing total sales to 70 per cent. Ingredion Cardinal Corn bids were hovering at $7 for May delivery. The market is showing a carrying charge which tells farmers to sell now for delivery in May or June.

Wheat

The Ontario winter wheat crop for the 2026 harvest is expected to come in at 2.5 million tonnes, down from the 2025 crop of 2.9 million tonnes. This lower production estimate comes on the heels of a historically tight carryout. Flour millers appear to have open demand for May through July. Currently, Ontario export offers are premium to French values f.o.b. Rouen and U.S. prices f.o.b. the Gulf.

Approximately 40 per cent of the U.S. winter wheat region is contending with some level of drought. The U.S. hard red winter crop in Texas, Oklahoma and parts of Kansas will need timely rains during March and April to sustain yield potential.

In Russia and Ukraine, the ongoing war has also resulted in a cash market risk premium. The latest weapons developments in Ukraine have enhanced the ability to strike Russian grain and energy infrastructure. These Ukrainian-manufactured weapons are not under Western restrictions. Secondly, there are pockets in the Russian Southern District, Volga District and North Caucasus District that have received below-normal precipitation over the past couple of months.

In Germany and Poland, the winter wheat lacked snow cover during a recent cold snap. There is potential for larger than normal winterkill. These regions have also received below-normal precipitation. Romania is also on the drier side while conditions in France have improved.

Analysts are factoring in a year-over-year decrease in production in the U.S., Russia, Europe and Canada. This week, we’re advising farmers to sell 20 per cent of their 2025 production, bringing sales to 60-70 per cent for milling and feed wheat.

The post Low Ontario on-farm stocks could shape spring and summer markets appeared first on Farmtario.

The survey was conducted from mid-December to mid-January, marking the earliest time planting intentions data was collected by the agency. Subsequent surveys will provide data on actual planted area, with revisions possible for the next two years.

Wheat

Total Canadian wheat area is expected to be down by 1.1 per cent from 2025, at 26.7 million acres. Much of the decline was tied to a 6.7 per cent drop in winter wheat seeded in the fall, with spring wheat relatively steady on the year.

Canola

Canola area is forecast to increase by 1.0 per cent on the year at 21.8 million acres. The survey was conducted before China announced it was lifting tariffs on Canadian canola, causing prices to rise, and analysts generally expect actual canola area will top 22 million acres.

Soybeans

Soybean planting intentions came in at 5.9 million acres, which would be up by 2.9 per cent from 2025. Ontario remains the top growing area for soybeans, with acreage expected to increase by 0.2 per cent to 2.9 million acres.

Meanwhile, Manitoba farmers intend to plant 12.9 per cent more soybeans in 2026, with area forecast at 1.9 million acres.

Barley and oats

Barley area is expected to increase by 5.0 per cent on the year, at 6.4 million acres. That was in line with trade expectations.

Oats area is forecast at 2.9 million acres, which would be down by 3.1 per cent from 2025.

Corn

Canadian farmers expect to plant 3.8 million acres of corn for grain in 2026, up 1.7 per cent from one year earlier. Ontario is forecast to see the largest increase in corn area, at 5.4 per cent. If realized, that would see Ontario farmers plant a record 2.3 million acres of corn.

Pulses

Most pulse crops are forecast to see lower planted area in 2026, with lentil planting intentions down 5.5 per cent at 4.1 million acres; peas down 12.3 per cent at 3.1 million acres; and edible beans down 30.7 per cent at 295,000 acres.

Of the major Canadian pulse crops, only chickpeas are expected to see an increase on the year with planted area estimated at 575,000 acres, which would be up by 6.3 per cent.

The post Canadian farmers intend to plant more canola, less wheat in 2026 appeared first on Farmtario.

U.S. soybean plantings were estimated at 83.380 million acres by the agency, which was slightly below average trade guesses and below the March estimate of 83.495 million acres. U.S. farmers planted 87.050 million acres of soybeans in 2024.

Corn area was also down slightly from March, at 95.203 million acres. However, that would still be up by about five per cent from 2024.

Wheat area, at 45.478 million acres, was up from the March estimate but still the smallest wheat area in 55 years. Of the total, winter wheat came in at 33.325 million acres, spring wheat at 10.045 million and durum at 2.108 million acres.

Stocks

Quarterly stocks data was also released Monday. U.S. wheat and soybean stocks as of June 1 were up on the year, while corn supplies were tighter.

Soybean stocks came in at 1.008 billion bushels, which topped average trade guesses and was up by 38 million bushels from the same time a year ago. The stocks data sparked a bearish reaction in the Chicago futures.

Quarterly U.S. wheat stocks, at 851 million bushels, compares with 696 million bushels the previous year.

Corn stocks as of June 1, at 4.644 billion bushels, were down by 353 million bushels on the year and in line with pre-report expectations.

1 acre = 0.405 hectares

The post USDA lowers soybean/corn acreage estimates, wheat up from March appeared first on Farmtario.

The report by the Canadian Malting Barley Technical Centre (CMBTC), in collaboration with the Manitoba Crop Alliance, says new Canadian malting barley varieties can be grown successfully in Manitoba.

With yields and quality comparable to the check variety — AAC Synergy — the study found new varieties including AAC Connect, CDC Fraser, CDC Copper, CDC Churchill and AAC Prairie are the next generation of varieties for Manitoba growers, the CMBTC said in a release Friday.

“The study showed that these new varieties offer good agronomics and the high end-use quality traits that are the hallmark of Canadian malting barley,” CMBTC managing director Peter Watts said.

According to the Manitoba Crop Alliance, total barley acres, whether for feed or malting, have declined over the last two decades on “a combination of disease concerns, market forces and difficulty to meet malting grade.”

That said, seeded acreage reports from Manitoba Agricultural Services Corp., the provincial crop insurance agency, have found Manitoba barley acres steadied in the years 2020 to 2023, at a level between 365,000 and 400,000.

Producers in Manitoba have struggled with diseases such as fusarium head blight in malting barley, but with improved disease resistance packages, better fungicide products and improved management practices, fusarium has not been a significant issue in recent years, CMBTC said.

Producers growing malting barley varieties have the option of both malting and feed markets. With a malt barley variety, farmers gain an additional 2.5 million-tonne market that they could not access with feed varieties, the centre said. As well, malt barley generally offers a premium of around $1 per bushel or more.

“Manitoba is one of the best barley producing regions in the world,” Manitoba Crop Alliance CEO Pam de Rocquigny said in the same release. “This success can be attributed to climate and geography, and our advanced farming practices.”

Barley is a good cereals crop option, as it provides many benefits when included in crop rotations. It can be planted early in the growing season and is both competitive and high yielding. Furthermore, including barley in crop rotations can provide flexibility during harvest, as it matures early, allowing harvest to be spread out between crop types, the centre said.

“In combination, these attributes make barley a great option for farmers,” says de Rocquigny.

Registrations of new malting barley varieties for producer use in Canada in recent years led to the need to evaluate those new varieties in field-scale trials, under Manitoba growing conditions, to provide data for that province’s growers on how new varieties could fit in their cropping systems.

More details from the CMBTC study can be viewed on the Manitoba Crop Alliance website.

Several companies in Manitoba source malting barley to supply domestic and international markets including CMBTC members Cargill, Richardson, Viterra, Malteurop and Boortmalt, among others.

The post CMBTC study finds new malting barley lines a fit for Manitoba appeared first on Farmtario.

During the Wednesday webinar, Andrick Payen showed current price ratios of U.S. soybeans to corn and wheat are above two, which means soybeans are roughly double the price of the grains. The soybean/corn ratio had been as high as three in June. As a result, he projected an increase in U.S. soybean acres to 88.6 million in 2024, but declines in U.S. corn acres (91.2 million) and acres for U.S. all wheat (47.5 million). However, the total U.S. acres of corn, wheat and soybeans altogether are expected to plateau at 227 million acres in 2024.

“Acres are re-adjusting to what we saw before this year,” Payen explained. “The U.S. is really not expanding acres. We’ve seen the last couple of years that there’s a battle for acres. After the peak that we’ve seen in 2014-15 (231 million), we haven’t touched that high-water mark over the past eight years.”

In Canada, the price ratio between canola and spring wheat has softened since the beginning of summer, with Payen commenting that demand for spring wheat remained very strong.

He also showed that despite a large increase in canola acres and a similar decline in wheat acres throughout the early 2000s, acreage numbers for both crops have plateaued since the 2010s and are nearly equal. Payen believes there could have been a larger amount of canola acres if it weren’t for growers’ strict crop rotations.

“Wheat and canola have taken more of the planted area in Canada with canola and wheat representing close to 50 per cent of planted acres,” Payen said. “In order for canola to expand, it needs to be in rotation with other cereals, given that principal field acres are not expanding. With the price environment that we’re seeing between canola and wheat, we’re expecting canola to grow next year, close to 23 million acres.”

Payen also cautioned that the numbers are largely dependent on the amount of moisture received throughout this coming winter.

He expects U.S. corn and soybean farm gate prices to be left virtually unchanged in 2024-25 at US$4.34 and US$12.64 per bushel, respectively. The price of Canadian canola is projected at C$714.47 per tonne for 2024-25, largely unchanged, while Canadian wheat prices should be down slightly to C$325.52/tonne. All four prices will be above their five-year averages.

“While it’s good that we’re going to see prices that will be higher than those in the past five years, input costs continue to be a concern and we’re not expecting margins to be as strong as in the past two years,” Payen said.

RaboResearch grains and oilseeds strategist Stephen Nicholson recounted what he heard from Canadian growers at Ag in Motion last July at Langham, Sask. during a question-and-answer session with media. The main topics of conversation, according to him, were weather conditions, crop rotations, disease pressure on canola, crushing capacity and developing more weather-resistant varieties of corn and soybeans.

“They’re dealing with the same issues that U.S. farmers are dealing with, whether they’re commodity prices, input costs and disease pressure in canola,” Nicholson said. “The exporters in Canada are struggling mightily with margins to export out of Canada…Over the next several years, I expect to see a reshuffling of export capacity and ownership there.”

— Adam Peleshaty reports for MarketsFarm from Stonewall, Man.

The post More acres expected for soybeans, canola, Rabobank says appeared first on Farmtario.

While oat production dipped one per cent at 57 million bushels, barley output rose six per cent at 185 million.

U.S. wheat in 2023 saw 49.757 million acres planted, expanding 8.3 per cent from the previous year. Harvested acres came in at 37.272 million, besting 2022 by five per cent. Yields increased from 46.5 bushels per acre 2022 to 48.6 in 2023.

Of the country’s wheat coming off the fields 1.248 billion bushels were winter wheat, up 13.1 per cent from 2022. The planted area was up 10.3 per cent from last year at 36.699 million, while the harvest acres grew 5.2 per cent at 24.683 million. Yields rose from 47 bu./ac. in 2022 to 50.6 this year.

Spring wheat tallied 504.9 million bushels, for a 4.6 per cent increase. U.S. farmers seeded 11.2 million acres, 3.2 per cent more than in 2022. Harvested acres of 10.95 million grew 5.1 per cent from the year before but yields dipped from 46.2 bu./ac. to 46.

Durum reaped 59.329 million bushels, down 7.3 per cent from a year ago. The planted acres increased 2.7 per cent from 2022 at 1.676 million and the harvested acres nudged up 1.5 per cent at 1.604 million. However, the yield decreased from 40.5 bu./ac. in 2022 to 37 this year.

Oat acres seeded in 2023 saw a slight decline from 2022 of one per cent at 2.555 million. While the harvested acres dropped 6.6 per cent at 831,000, yields improved from 64.8 bu./ac. in 2022 to 68.6 in 2023.

The amount of barley acres seeded in the U.S. rose 4.8 per cent in 2023 at 3.101 million and the harvested acres grew 4.5 per cent at 2.555 million. Yields were up from 71.6 bu./ac. in 2022 to 72.4 in 2023.

The post U.S. wheat, barley production increases in 2023 appeared first on Farmtario.

Statistics Canada (StatCan) reported in its principal field crop estimates on Thursday that 267,900 tonnes of flaxseed are expected to be produced in this year’s harvest. The total not only represents a 43.4 per cent drop from the previous year’s 434,175 tonnes, but it would also be Canada’s smallest flax crop since 1967 when 238,250 tonnes were produced. This year’s Canadian flax crop would also be the second-smallest since 1954.

For yield, 18 bushels per acre were produced on average, the second-smallest since 2005, only ahead of 13.7 bu./ac. in 2021.

Last February, StatCan had projected 500,000 tonnes for the 2023-24 crop, but hot and dry conditions on the Prairies and lower prices, due to a lack of competitiveness with Russia and Kazakhstan as well as other domestic oilseeds, limited production.

“Agronomically, a lot of producers are opting away from flax to grow crops that are easier to deal with, like canola, for example. Flax doesn’t yield as high and you still have to deal with (flax straw). It’s not attractive right now for producers to put the extra effort to grow,” said Cory Jacob, Saskatchewan’s provincial oilseed specialist.

Saskatchewan is slated to grow 81 per cent of Canada’s flax and 26 per cent of the province’s crop was combined as of Sept. 11, according to the weekly provincial crop report. Jacob said progress is being made on the flax harvest.

“Overall, harvest will be done earlier for the majority of producers. But a lot of producers don’t have the greatest crop they’ve ever seen. Some producers who did receive rain are a little better off for yield,” Jacob said, adding that yields were varied this year.

The high-delivered bid for Saskatchewan flax as of Thursday was $16 per bushel, according to Prairie Ag Hotwire. While it is $1.50 higher than it was last week, it is still $7 less than one year ago.

“I can see prices coming back a little. As far as flax acres go for next year, I don’t know if we’ve found the bottom yet. That being said, I can’t see a really large uptick in the short-term here for acres. I think we’ll be near these record lows for acres,” Jacob said.

In order for flax prices to rise in the long-term, it needs to be more attractive for growers, he said — but it could be a hard sell.

“Producers know how to grow flax. It’s just putting that effort in or to take production away from other crops like canola or pulse crops or cereal crops,” Jacob said.

“There are better varieties coming, but it just doesn’t happen overnight, it takes a few years. Better varieties that are yielding a bit higher… But if we have higher yields, they may bring producers back to growing flax.”

— Adam Peleshaty reports for MarketsFarm from Stonewall, Man.

The post Flax production lowest since 1967, StatCan predicts appeared first on Farmtario.

StatCan issued its first model-based production report for 2023-24 on Aug. 29, which placed the country’s oats at about 2.429 million tonnes. While the first report estimated the crops as of July 31, the second report will take them as of Aug. 31.

He suggested the agency’s previous estimate for harvested acres, at 828,800, is likely a little high. Also, any increase in production would still produce a crop well short of last year’s 5.227 million tonnes.

“We know there was a very large carryout and demand has been good,” Shiels said.

StatCan last Friday (Sept. 8) issued a stocks report which placed oat ending stocks for 2022-23 at 1.275 million tonnes — far more than the 333,000 the year prior and above the five-year average of 518,000.

“They’re probably fairly accurate on stocks — I think a lot more accurate than they are on their acres at this point,” Shiels said.

Grain Millers is offering $6 per bushel for oats in the April to August time frame, he said.

Meanwhile, for current-year oats, Prairie Ag Hotwire listed them in Manitoba at $5-$5.14/bu. delivered, down 18 cents over the last month. Those in Alberta fetched $4.30-$5.01/bu., dropping 40 cents over the same time.

— Glen Hallick reports for MarketsFarm from Winnipeg.

The post StatCan expected to raise estimate for oats production appeared first on Farmtario.

Most of Canada’s pulses are grown on the Prairies, and in particular southern Alberta and western Saskatchewan, which happen to be the driest parts of the region, leading to declines in production this year along with reduced acres.

In AAFC’s latest outlook for principal field crops, dry pea production was down 200,000 tonnes at 2.7 million, and a fair bit less than the 3.42 million harvested in 2022-23. Exports for 2023-24 were reduced by the same amount at 2.2 million tonnes while domestic usage was held at 705,000. Ending stocks were nudged up by 50,000 tonnes at 275,000.

Lentils were also lowered, from 2.1 million tonnes in July to now 1.8 million. In 2022-23, lentil production reached 2.3 million tonnes. Exports for 2023-24 hold at 330,000 tonnes, domestic usage stays at 250,000, with ending stocks remaining at 125,000.

Dry bean production lost 20,000 tonnes at 300,000, going from more than the 313,000 tonnes combined in 2022-23 to less than that amount. Exports and domestic usage for 2023-24 were held at 330,000 and 75,000 tonnes respectively. Ending stocks were cut from 70,000 tonnes to now 50,000.

The production of chickpeas was reduced by 25,000 tonnes at 170,000, but that’s still better than the 128,000 in 2022-23. Exports for 2023-24 remained at 145,000. Domestic usage increased by 15,000 tonnes at 70,000, but ending stocks were halved at 25,000.

Pulse prices across the Prairies nudged up following the AAFC report. Prairie Ag Hotwire said lentils across Western Canada gained seven-10ths to two cents per pound and chickpeas were up 0.5-1.8 cents/lb. Beans rose 0.3-0.5 cent/lb. except for navy beans which lost 1.2 cents.

Green peas were up 50 cents per bushel while yellows were unchanged. Feed prices were mixed as well, with a gain of 25 cents in Manitoba to a drop of 40 cents in Saskatchewan.

— Glen Hallick reports for MarketsFarm from Winnipeg.

The post Pulse weekly outlook: AAFC trims production numbers appeared first on Farmtario.