The canola industry could have achieved an ambitious production target four years ahead of schedule if not for spring flooding.
In 2007, the council set a target of reaching 15 million tonnes of sustainable production and demand for the oilseed crop by 2015.
“Had the weather co-operated with us, we were on track to hit that number (this year),” said Cory McArthur, vice-president of market development with the Canola Council of Canada.
Production is difficult to estimate this year because of a soggy spring that drowned out an unknown number of acres. However, estimates vary from 12.5 to 13.5 million tonnes, which would be a record crop at the high end.
McArthur has heard estimates that six million acres went unseeded this year, including 2.5 million acres of canola, but he said it could be as high as eight million acres of unseeded crops.
