Canadian farmers will seed more wheat, durum, canola, oats and barley this spring and leave less unseeded land, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada said in an analysis that mostly mirrored earlier government estimates based on a farmer survey.
The department’s outlook for grains and oilseeds for the 2011-12 crop year late on Tuesday maintained Statistics Canada’s April 26 planting estimates for canola, oats, barley and durum.
Its estimate for all-wheat plantings of 24.84 million acres is 0.5 per cent higher than StatsCan’s forecast.
Actual seeded area will differ from planting intentions because of delays due to cool, wet weather, AAFC said.
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Assuming normal precipitation, unplanted acres and crop quality and yield, production of Canada’s biggest crops will increase, the department said.
All-wheat production will rise 13 per cent to an estimated 26.2 million tonnes, Ag Canada said.
Canola production could rise 12 per cent to a record 13.3 million tonnes, while oat production may climb by half to 3.5 million tonnes, the department said.
Farmers grew smaller crops last year due to wet, cool weather that stunted growth and left large areas unplanted.
Statistics Canada will next estimate planting area on June 23, based on a farmer survey.
