(Calgary) Canadian farmers are on track to produce a better crop this year, although memories of last year’s grueling drought in the Prairie provinces are fresh.
Posted at 11:56 am
Early estimates from Statistics Canada suggest that crop yields for this crop will be higher due to better growing conditions in western Canada.
The federal agency said Wednesday it expects higher production levels for many crops, including canola, barley, soybeans and corn.
Wheat will probably be among the most dramatic increases in yield. According to Statistics Canada, nationwide wheat production is projected to increase 55.6% year-on-year to 34.7 million tons in 2022.
Wheat production in Alberta, which was hard hit by last year’s drought, is expected to rise 80.1% this year to 11.6 million tons.
After a late start to seeding due to inclement weather, many of the prairies have received consistent rainfall since June this year.
This is in stark contrast to 2021, when a major drought wilted crops in the fields. According to statistics from Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, production of key crops in western Canada fell more than 40% year-on-year in 2021 and was nearly 37% below the previous five-year average.
For the country as a whole, total crop production in Canada in 2021 was more than 30% lower than in 2020 and 27% lower than the previous five-year average.
After stabilizing somewhat over the summer, grain prices are likely to remain relatively high for the foreseeable future on tighter Canadian supplies, more comfortable but still relatively tight global supply and expectations of continued strong international demand.
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