Manitoba farmers propelled soybean and corn to new acreage records in Canada this year, growing 35 percent more soybeans and 22 percent more corn than last year.
According to Statistics Canada’s field crop estimates released in June, Canadian growers planted 4.6 million acres of soybeans this spring, a gain of 440,000 acres from last year.
Manitoba soybeans played a major role in that increase, jumping from 800,000 acres in 2012 to 1.085 million acres this year.
Grain corn acres also set a new national record of 3.65 million acres, an increase of 2.9 percent from last year.
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Manitoba growers helped bump corn numbers higher by seeding 365,000 acres this spring, up from 300,000 acres last year.
The gains in corn may surprise some industry watchers who thought the cool, late spring would restrict Manitoba acres.
Statistics Canada’s soybean estimates are well above industry and provincial predictions for Manitoba. Most observers assumed that Manitoba farmers seeded 900,000 to one million acres of soybeans this year.
For example, provincial oilseed specialist Anastasia Kubinec said Manitoba Agriculture pegged soybeans at 900,000 acres.
Statistics Canada said Saskatchewan growers also contributed to the national record for beans, seeding 170,000 acres this spring. If correct, it would double the 70,000 to 100,000 acres that were seeded last year.
Carl Potts, executive director of Saskatchewan Pulse Growers, said the estimate is in line with expectations.
“Back in our winter meetings with growers… we were hearing numbers suggesting that soybeans could get up to that 200,000 acre mark,” he said. “Given the late melt and lots of moisture, we weren’t really sure how that would impact soybean plans.”
This is the first year that Statistics Canada has provided estimates of soybean acres for Saskatchewan. Farmers have grown soybeans in that province for the past few years, but the official estimates are symbolic, Potts said.
“It sort of means it’s crossed some threshold from being a minor crop,” he said. “Keep in mind the chickpea acreage number of 200,000 acres. So if soybeans at 170,000 is right, it’s approaching the size and scope of chickpeas.”
Kevin Elm, who runs Friendly Acres Seed Farm in Saltcoats, Sask., said many Saskatchewan farmers are growing beans for the first time this year.
He said most novices are experimenting with 80 acres of beans, but some are jumping into soybeans from the 10 metre diving board. He knows one large acreage farmer, and a first time soybean grower, who planted 1,000 acres this spring.
The Statistics Canada estimates are based on a survey of 25,000 farmers, conducted between May 27 and June 10.
