A year ago, buckwheat was going through a bit of a boom and prospects seemed bright.
Seeded area in Manitoba jumped to more than 11,000 acres.
But this year, the crop is taking a step back. Acreage will likely fall below 5,000.
“I think we might be back to 3,000 or 4,000 acres,” said Marc Durand, who runs Durand Seeds and is president of the Manitoba Buckwheat Growers Association.
“Now that it’s starting to be a late spring in Manitoba, you might have some guys switching to buckwheat,” added Durand, who farms near Notre Dame de Lourdes, Man. “But I think acres will still be down.”
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In the spring of 2012, Nestibo Agra, a specialty crop processor in Deloraine, Man., offered buckwheat contracts of $15 per bushel.
The high price combined with new varieties, which offered higher yield potential and improved shatter resistance following a frost, convinced a few growers to try buckwheat or expand acreage. Last year was the first time in years that buckwheat exceeded 10,000 acres in Manitoba. Before 2012, buckwheat was mired in the 4,000 to 7,000 acre range.
But results were disappointing. Yields in Manitoba were less than 20 bu. per acre in 2012.
“We had some just huge winds in the fall and it shattered right in the swath,” said Mike Durand, Nestibo Agra sales manager. “Otherwise we would’ve been fine.”
Durand agreed that acres will drop in 2013.
“Some of my usual growers are growing buckwheat but the contract is not as lucrative as it was last year,” said Durand, who did not disclose his contract prices for the 2013 crop.
“The amount of acres I’ve (contracted) is very low compared to other years.”
With prices for mainstream crops exceptionally high, it’s difficult to sway growers toward buckwheat, Mike Durand said.
“Soybeans are the new Cinderella crop. So if guys are going to experiment with a crop, they’re going to be experimenting with that.”
