Manitoba farmers seeded 1.6 million acres of soybeans this spring, Statistics Canada said in the June 28 seeding report.
If the numbers are correct, it represents a major increase from 2022.
Last year, the province had about 900,000 acres of soybeans, using data from Manitoba Agricultural Services Corp., the provincial crop insurer.
More acres likely went in the ground because 2022 was a fantastic year for soybean yields. The average yield in the province was around 45 bushels per acre.
That’s a huge improvement from recent years, like 2019 and 2021, when average yields were around 28 bu. per acre.
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“Soybeans in the east (eastern half of Manitoba), I’ve seen some of the (yield) numbers were in the 50s,” Dennis Lange, a soybean and pulse crop specialist with Manitoba Agriculture, said this winter. “I’ve heard (of) individual fields doing 60.”
Food grade soybeans remain a tiny fraction of the total soybean acres in Manitoba, but the specialty crop is gaining traction with a few growers.
Food grade, also known as non-genetically modified soybeans, are used to make a variety of products, including soy milk, soy sauce, miso and tofu. Canadian food grade soybeans are exported around the globe, including to China and Japan.
Farmers who grow food grade soybeans usually receive a premium over conventional beans of $1.50 to $2 per bushel.
Sevita International, an Ontario company that develops soybean varieties and contracts production of identity-preserved food grade soybeans, convinced more Manitoba farmers to try the crop in 2023.
“Food grade acres are up (along) with (soybean acres),” said Sandy Hart, Sevita general manager
“We are not double, but in that neighbourhood from the prior year.”
The actual increase could be several thousand acres, which isn’t a lot,but Sevita is determined to increase production of food grade soybeans in Manitoba.
The crop is popular with growers in Ontario and Quebec, where 15 to 20 percent of soybeans are food grade.
That normally results in a consistent supply, but Sevita wants production in another part of Canada.
“The strategic goal is to diversify the geographies from which we’re contracting our (production),” Hart said in 2022.
“If we have a poor production season in Ontario or Quebec and we’re short on a particular contract, we can’t just go into the market and buy non-GMO beans.”
Eventually, Sevita hopes Manitoba acreage reaches the tens of thousands, maybe even 100,000 acres.
That growth likely hinges on the quality of food grade varieties and how they compare to conventional soybeans.
“Our goal isn’t to sell a premium. It’s to sell a program. And the variety performance is the most important part of the program,” Hart said.
This summer, Sevita is replicating seed for a couple of food grade varieties suited for the growing conditions in Manitoba.
“We’ve got two new ones in production… commercial seed production. (They) will be in the book next year,” Hart said.
“The research program is (also) looking at another half a dozen lines, which we will (review) this year.”
