MarketsFarm — Statistics Canada reported on Monday that Canadian wheat millers processed 3.267 million tonnes of all wheat in 2020 — a slight increase of about 2.1 per cent over 2019, keeping flour processing on the rise over the last four years.
There were also year-to-year increases in the other categories tracked by the federal agency, while whole wheat and graham flour production decreased.
Of the total wheat milling, durum made up a small percentage in 2020, accounting for 7.2 per cent of the wheat processed. However, there was a greater increase in the amount of durum milled from year-to-year than over the last few years. The 235,150 tonnes of durum milled was up 7.8 per cent over 2019, while previous year-to-year increases since 2017 have been 0.3 to one per cent.
Read Also
Alberta crop conditions improve: report
Varied precipitation and warm temperatures were generally beneficial for crop development across Alberta during the week ended July 8, according to the latest provincial crop report released July 11.
Excluding durum, wheat milling came to nearly 3.032 million tonnes in 2020 — a 1.6 per cent rise over that in 2019.
The amount of total flour produced bumped up 1.5 per cent from 2019, at about 2.489 million tonnes. When durum is excluded, the wheat flour produced in 2020 was approximately 2.308 million tonnes, for an increase of nearly 1.2 per cent over the previous year. Flour made from durum only rose six per cent in 2020 at 181,058 tonnes.
Whole wheat and graham flour produced saw a notable step back in 2020, dropping 30.7 per cent at 87,718 tonnes.
At just below one per cent, total millfeeds (a byproduct containing flour along with bran and germ) produced saw an increase in 2020, coming to 748,197 tonnes.
The total amount of all wheat milled in Canada in 2020 represents 9.3 per cent of total wheat produced in the country. When compared to the last few years, the amounts of total wheat and total flour produced has increased, but the gains in wheat production outpaced those for flour produced.
