Canada’s canola industry has set a new production target after meeting its 2015 goals well ahead of schedule.
The new objective is to produce 26 million tonnes of canola by 2025, up from the 18 million tonnes harvested in 2013.
“That’s a bold target, no doubt about it,” said council chair Terry Youzwa.
“But we believe it can be done and it can be done responsibly and sustainably.”
The 2015 goal of producing 15 million tonnes of canola was achieved through a combination of increased acres and better yields.
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The new target will be met primarily by boosting yields. The council is forecasting 22 million acres of the yellow crop by 2025, up 10 percent from last year’s 20 million acres.
The “Keep It Coming” strategy calls for an average yield of 52 bushels per acre, up from 40 in 2013.
“As a canola grower myself, I’m convinced we can achieve 52 bu. per acre, and that’s the key, it’s a yield target,” said Youzwa.
He said it is important to establish new production targets so customers and the industry know what’s coming and how to prepare for it.
“Setting targets works. Just look at our track record,” said Youzwa.
“We set targets for 2007, and the investments in infrastructure happened. We set targets for 2015 and again the investments in infrastructure happened.”
Other targets include 12 million tonnes of seed exports, 14 million tonnes of domestic crush and one-third of the acres devoted to high oleic and other specialty oil varieties.
Youzwa said the council commissioned a report that predicts global demand for vegetable oil will rise to 250 million tonnes by 2025, up from 150 million tonnes in 2015.
“The world is telling Canada’s canola industry to keep it coming,” he said.
“We know that if we don’t rise to the occasion in a responsible, sustainable manner, our competitors will.”
Youzwa said growers are going to have to up their game to produce an extra eight million tonnes of canola on an additional two million acres of land.
Seed companies will supply some of the yield increase in the form of improved varieties, and the remainder will come from growers adopting the latest recommended agronomic practices.
