Canadian Wheat Board number crunchers took a look in the crystal ball to project what world wheat trade will look like in 2007-8. Here’s what they expect:
- World trade will rise to 118 million tonnes from its recent average of 101 million tonnes. Ten percent of this will be high-quality wheat.
- Canada will keep its 20 percent share of world trade, exporting 21.8 million tonnes, 5.5 million tonnes of which will be high protein, red spring wheat.
- To ensure Canada can fill the high-end and standard-quality markets, farmers will have to plant 18.3 million acres of Canada Western Red Spring wheat.
- More farmers will grow Canada Prairie Spring varieties like AC Crystal (still in trial stages) which are lower-quality, lower-priced wheats with acceptable protein strength and milling quality, but higher yields.
- More farmers will grow not-yet-available extra strong durum varieties, hard white wheat varieties and high-yielding feed wheat varieties.
