Canadian farmers planted a record area of canola in 2026 while reducing wheat, lentil and dry pea acreage, reflecting another shift in crop choices across the Prairies.
Farmers reported seeding 23.4 million acres of canola this year, up 8.4 percent from 2025 and above the previous national record of 23.0 million acres set in 2017. The increase coincided with lower wheat acreage, which fell 5.9 percent to 25.3 million acres.
Spring wheat remained Canada’s largest wheat crop at 18.1 million acres, down 3.9 percent from a year earlier. Durum wheat dropped 10.3 percent to 5.9 million acres, while winter wheat declined 11.5 percent to 1.4 million acres.
Saskatchewan, Canada’s largest wheat-producing province, reduced wheat area by 5.9 percent to 13.2 million acres. Alberta reported a 5.4 percent decline to 7.6 million acres, including a 17.1 percent drop in durum wheat. Manitoba’s wheat acreage fell 8.4 percent to three million acres.
Canola expanded across all three Prairie provinces. Saskatchewan planted a record 13.4 million acres, up 9.8 percent and 656,300 acres above its previous high. Alberta increased canola acreage 6.9 percent to 6.6 million acres, the province’s largest seeded area since 2021. Manitoba planted 3.2 million acres, up 6.3 percent from last year.
Corn for grain also expanded. National seeded area rose 4.8 percent to four million acres. Ontario growers planted 2.3 million acres, up 2.7 percent and close to the province’s five-year average. Quebec increased corn acreage 5.4 percent to 900,500 acres, while Manitoba set another provincial record with 692,600 acres, an increase of 11.8 percent over 2025.
Soybean acreage increased 3.1 percent nationally to six million acres. Ontario, the country’s largest soybean producer, reported a slight decline of 0.6 percent to 2.9 million acres. Manitoba expanded soybean plantings by 16.2 percent to 1.9 million acres, the province’s largest area since 2017. Quebec reduced soybean acreage by 3.1 percent to one million acres.
Barley gained ground while oats continued to lose acreage. Farmers seeded 6.7 million acres of barley, up 9.3 percent from a year earlier. Alberta led the increase with a 12.0 percent gain to 3.7 million acres, while Saskatchewan rose 12.6 percent to 2.5 million acres. Manitoba’s barley area declined 23.0 percent.
Oat acreage fell 15.1 percent nationally to 2.5 million acres. Saskatchewan planted 1.1 million acres, down 15.0 percent. Alberta reduced oat area by 11.5 percent, while Manitoba posted a 27.9 percent decline.
Pulse crops also lost acreage. Lentil plantings fell 10.9 percent to 3.9 million acres. Saskatchewan, which accounts for nearly 90 percent of Canadian lentil production, reduced seeded area 11.7 percent to 3.4 million acres. Alberta reported a 5.6 percent decline to 533,800 acres.
Dry pea acreage dropped 13.7 percent to three million acres, the lowest level since 2011. Saskatchewan reduced dry pea plantings by 7.3 percent to 1.6 million acres, while Alberta cut seeded area 17.6 percent to 1.2 million acres.
The 2026 planting season began more slowly than usual across much of the Prairies. Provincial crop reports showed Alberta started seeding later than normal before catching up by the end of May. Saskatchewan accelerated planting late in the month but remained behind its five-year and 10-year averages. Manitoba completed seeding close to historical averages. In Central Canada, planting generally progressed on schedule despite wetter than normal conditions in some areas, with most seeding finished by mid-June.