Glacier FarmMedia — Early planting estimates from Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada called for only minor adjustments to most major crops grown in the country in 2024, with reductions in wheat, canola and barley acres, and increases in oats and pulses.
AAFC included its first estimates for the 2024/25 marketing year in its January supply/demand report, released Jan. 22.
All wheat area was forecast to dip by 1.9 per cent, at 26.50 million acres, as a 2.9 per cent decline in non-durum wheat should more than counter an expected 1.4 per cent increase in durum to 6.12 million acres.
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Barley area was forecast to slip by 4.8 per cent on the year, at 6.97 million acres, while area seeded to oats was projected to see the largest change on the year – rising by 27.1 per cent to 3.21 million acres.
AAFC called for a 1.5 per cent decline in canola area, at 21.75 million acres, with flaxseed dropping by 19.0 per cent to 494,000 acres. Meanwhile, soybeans should hold steady at 5.64 million acres.
The major pulse crops were all expected to see increased area this spring, with both peas and lentils forecast to rise by 5.4 per cent at 3.21 million and 3.95 million acres respectively. Chickpea area was forecast at 371,000 acres, which would be up by 7.7 per cent on the year.
Statistics Canada releases its first official seeded area estimates for the upcoming growing season on March 11.
— Phil Franz-Warkentin is an associate editor/analyst with MarketsFarm in Winnipeg.
