Canadian farmers say they favoured oilseeds as they wrapped up planting the 2017 crop, according to a survey by Statistics Canada.
The report issued Thursday morning pegged canola area at 22.837 million acres, at the high end of the trade’s range of expectations. The area is 12.1 percent more than last year.
It will be the first time ever that canola area exceeds all wheat area.
Farmers were also enthusiastic about soybeans. They said they seeded 7.282 million acres, up a whopping 33.2 percent over last year.
All wheat was pegged at 22.361 million acres, down 3.7 percent from last year and within the range of expectations.
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Of that, spring wheat was 15.791 million acres, up 2.5 percent over last year and durum was at 5.205 million, down almost 16 percent, but nevertheless more than the trade expected.
Larger than expected canola plantings were not a complete surprise, since the oilseed can be sown later than some crops, Brian Voth, president of farmer advisory IntelliFARM, told Reuters.
Late sowing may limit yields, suggesting that huge plantings may not result in massive production, Voth said.
“It’s a lot of acres of canola, there’s no doubt about that, but this is only part of the picture. This is not necessarily an overly bearish report.”
Saskatchewan canola area was pegged at 12.61 million acres, up 13.6 percent. Alberta was pegged at 6.93 million,up 16.5 percent and Manitoba at 3.12 million, down 1.1 percent.
The Statscan survey was conducted between May 26 and June 12, ending about a week from insurance deadlines to seed crops. Analysts have said that some fields were likely too wet for planting before that deadline in Alberta’s Peace River region and northeastern Saskatchewan, casting doubt over the final seeded area.
Dry U.S. conditions have driven Minneapolis futures higher, but Canada’s spring wheat is in better shape because it was planted later, said Bruce Burnett, director of markets and weather information at Glacier FarmMedia.
Barley acreage is seen at 5.771 million down 9.7 percent from last year and at the low end of expectations.
Lentil area, at 4.405 million acres was as expected. It was down almost 25 percent from last year.
Pea area is 4.093, also very close to expectations and down 3.4 percent from last year.
Oats area is 3.22 million acres, up 13.6 million from last year.
And for all the talk of excessive rain and soggy fields, the report says that summerfallow area is 2.17 million acres, up just 180,000 acres or nine percent from last year.
The following are today’s seeded area numbers from Statistics Canada compared to trade estimates from a poll by Reuters News Agency:
| mln acres | June StatCan | Avg Estimate | Lowest | Highest | April StatCan | 2016 |
| All wheat | 22.361 | 22.7 | 21.7 | 23.5 | 23.182 | 23.212 |
| Durum | 5.205 | 5.0 | 4.90 | 5.1 | 5.145 | 6.190 |
| Canola | 22.837 | 22.2 | 20.90 | 22.9 | 22.387 | 20.367 |
| Oats | 3.220 | 3.4 | 3.10 | 3.5 | 3.419 | 2.834 |
| Barley | 5.771 | 6.0 | 5.60 | 6.4 | 5.880 | 6.390 |
| Peas | 4.093 | 4.0 | 3.80 | 4.2 | 3.989 | 4.239 |
| Flax | 1.040 | 1.0 | 0.9 | 1.2 | 1.115 | 0.935 |
| Corn | 3.576 | 3.6 | 3.2 | 3.7 | 3.751 | 3.3246 |
| Lentils | 4.405 | 4.4 | 4.2 | 4.9 | 4.385 | 5.860 |
| Soybeans | 7.282 | 7.0 | 6.9 | 7.4 | 6.956 | 5.467 |
