Canadian farmers have made notable adjustments to their crop areas in 2024, according to the latest survey from Statistics Canada.. While there has been an increase in the planting of soybeans, lentils, dry peas, and oats, the areas dedicated to wheat, canola, corn, and barley have decreased. These shifts come against a backdrop of diverse weather conditions across the country, impacting planting and growth patterns.
Western Canada experienced a drier than average winter, raising concerns about soil moisture. However, starting in April, the Prairies saw widespread rainfall, which, although causing some seeding delays, ultimately improved soil moisture conditions. Provincial reports indicated that seeding progress was slower than the five-year average, but most areas were planted by early June. Temperatures varied, with some regions experiencing near-freezing conditions during planting.
In Eastern Canada, the early growing season saw temperatures at or above normal. Ontario, despite its warm conditions, faced above-normal precipitation, leading to seeding delays. Meanwhile, Quebec and Atlantic Canada were drier than usual.
Nationally, wheat planting decreased by 1.1% to 26.6 million acres. Despite this reduction, the wheat area remains above the five-year average of 25.0 million acres, likely due to favourable pricing. The decline in total wheat area was driven by reductions in spring wheat (-2.8% to 18.9 million acres) and winter wheat (-5.8% to 1.3 million acres), which were partially offset by an increase in durum wheat area (+5.5% to 6.4 million acres).
In Saskatchewan, the wheat area remained unchanged at 14.2 million acres, with a decrease in spring wheat (-2.1% to 9.0 million acres) balanced by an increase in durum wheat (+2.9% to 5.1 million acres). Alberta saw a 1.6% decrease to 7.8 million acres, driven by a drop in spring wheat (-4.9% to 6.5 million acres), while durum wheat increased by 19.4% to 1.2 million acres. Manitoba’s wheat area decreased by 1.4% to 3.2 million acres.
The canola area saw a slight decline, with farmers planting 22.0 million acres, down 0.3% from the previous year. Saskatchewan, which grows more than half of Canada’s canola, reported a 2.5% decrease to 12.1 million acres. Alberta’s canola area increased by 0.4% to 6.4 million acres, and Manitoba saw a significant rise of 6.6% to 3.3 million acres.
Soybean planting increased by 2.0% to 5.7 million acres, the highest area since 2018 and above the five-year average. Ontario, the largest soybean-growing province, saw a 7.1% increase to 3.1 million acres. Quebec reported a record soybean area for the second consecutive year, up 6.8% to 1.1 million acres. In contrast, Manitoba’s soybean area decreased by 10.6% to 1.4 million acres.
Barley planting fell by 12.8% to 6.4 million acres, with significant reductions in Saskatchewan (-17.5% to 2.3 million acres), Alberta (-8.6% to 3.5 million acres), and Manitoba (-24.9% to 311,200 acres). Conversely, oat planting increased by 14.9% to 2.9 million acres, driven by low stocks from 2023 and good returns. Saskatchewan’s oat area rose by 22.3% to 1.3 million acres, with increases also reported in Alberta (+13.0%) and Manitoba (+11.3%).
Corn for grain planting decreased by 4.8% to 3.6 million acres nationally. Ontario, which accounts for about 60% of the country’s corn for grain, saw a 4.6% decrease to 2.2 million acres. Quebec’s corn area dropped by 2.1% to 879,000 acres, and Manitoba’s fell by 10.7% to 494,600 acres.
Lentil planting rose by 14.8% to 4.2 million acres, driven by higher returns. Saskatchewan’s lentil area increased by 14.0% to 3.6 million acres, and Alberta’s rose by 19.6% to 559,700 acres. Dry pea planting increased by 5.4% to 3.2 million acres, with Saskatchewan’s area rising by 8.7% to 1.7 million acres, while Alberta’s area decreased by 1.4% to 1.2 million acres.