MarketsFarm — If traders and analysts are correct with their estimates, there will be slightly more wheat and canola acres seeded in Canada this year compared to 2022. Statistics Canada (StatCan) will release its first survey-based acreage estimates for the 2023-24 marketing year on April 26. Other than drier and cooler conditions in southern Manitoba, […] Read more

Analysts expect additional acres for canola, wheat
StatCan estimates due out Wednesday

New funding for crop variety trials
Reading Time: < 1 minute Results Driven Agriculture Research (RDAR), the Western Grains Research Foundation and the Alberta Oat Growers Commission have announced $782,400 in funding for Alberta Regional Variety Trials. RDAR’s contribution is for $582,300 over three years. The trials are independently conducted on small test plots at multiple sites across Alberta. They compare the performance of newly registered […] Read more

AAFC revises crop estimates
Export, new-crop production outlooks revised lower for flax
MarketsFarm — Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC) on Friday released its February supply and demand estimates with numerous small changes. AAFC held its projections for 2022-23 grains and oilseeds production at 89.489 million tonnes. As for exports, the department reduced them from 45.715 million tonnes last month to now 45.49 million. Furthermore, domestic usage was […] Read more

Price drop not enough to lift demand for Canadian flax
Russia, Kazakhstan competitive in export markets
MarketsFarm — While flax prices in Western Canada have fallen by at least half from what they were one year ago, they are still too high to be competitive on a global level, according to one flax processor. Mike Popowich, owner and vice-president of TA Foods Ltd. at Yorkton, Sask., said demand for the crop […] Read more

Will there be any new varieties in your line-up this year?
Reading Time: 6 minutes New varieties often promise higher yields, more robust resistance, better standability and other benefits. But there can also be trade-offs. “Sometimes a new variety comes out and maybe the yield is better, but did you lose anything with that variety, whether it’s protein or maturity?” asked Greg Stamp of Stamp Seeds in Enchant. “And then […] Read more

Flax Council of Canada seeks new chief
Wayne Thompson moving to WGRF
Canada’s national market development organization for flax and flax products is officially in the market for a chief executive. The Flax Council of Canada said Tuesday its search for a new president is underway, after Wayne Thompson announced in August he has left the position to become executive director of the Western Grains Research Foundation […] Read more

SaskCanola, SaskFlax merge offices, management
Groups will maintain separate governing boards, levies
Sasskatchewan’s canola and flax development commissions are consolidating their management, staff and office space under one roof. SaskCanola and SaskFlax said Wednesday their new “management collaboration” will translate to efficiencies for both commissions with “a full staff complement to support both boards.” Both organizations will now operate out of the current SaskCanola office at Innovation […] Read more

Stubble in crop rotations might surprise you
Reading Time: < 1 minute A new tool from Alberta Wheat and Alberta Barley can help producers with rotation planning. The tool, a table that uses 10 years’ worth of AFSC crop data, “provides a breakdown of the average percent yield of certain crops when seeded into specific crop stubble.” The table, which has 12 crops (six cereals, three pulses, […] Read more

AAFC raises canola stocks projection, despite smaller crop
Department also trims wheat ending stocks
MarketsFarm — Canadian canola ending stocks for 2022-23 were revised higher by Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada in its latest supply/demand estimates, released Friday. The larger carryout projection came despite a downward revision to production, as both exports and domestic usage were also down from the November report. The government agency now sees canola carryout of […] Read more

StatCan data show smaller Canadian canola, durum production
Report also logs more barley, oats than previous estimates
MarketsFarm — Canadian farmers grew less canola and durum than originally thought in 2022, but more barley and oats, according to updated production estimates from Statistics Canada released Friday. “There were both bullish and bearish surprises,” MarketsFarm Pro analyst Mike Jubinville said. While canola production of 18.174 million tonnes was still up considerably from the […] Read more