Mustard seed. Photo: File

Mustard marches on despite fewer acres

Saskatchewan acres to decline by nearly half

Mustard acres in Saskatchewan are projected to fall by nearly half compared to last year, according to Statistics Canada. But growers still want the seed to be a part of their crop rotations.



A yellow mustard field just coming into bloom.

Supply-demand hits mustard

The two biggest headwinds facing the Canadian mustard market right now are bigger supplies and weaker demand, market analyst Chuck Penner said at last week’s Sask Mustard annual general meeting in Saskatoon. “It is really disappointing.” Related story: New opportunities loom for mustard Production of brown and Oriental mustard was down, Penner said, while that […] Read more

Canada is estimated to have seeded slightly more than 600,000 acres to mustard in 2024, of which more than 400,000 were in Saskatchewan.  |  SpreadTheMustard.com photo

Mustard needs crop-protection support

Once the crop’s out of the ground and established, it has fewer issues with pests and diseases compared to canola

Glacier FarmMedia – While mustard growers face many of the same agronomic challenges as canola growers, they often find themselves with fewer crop protection options than canola growers do. So when Bayer recently announced its Buteo Start seed treatment for flea beetles would be available for mustard seed, mustard farmers welcomed the news. “That’s going […] Read more



Mustard prices are expected to be 30 to 50 cents per pound this year, down from the $1 per lb. of recent years.  |  File photo

VIDEO: Normal mustard crop may bring normal prices

Grain buyer says crop will likely be more plentiful this year due to better weather, which will change how it is marketed

LANGHAM, Sask. — If an average mustard crop comes in, be prepared for “traditional” prices, says a leading special crop buyer. That means farmers will have to market like they did in the days before the drought-induced crop shortages of recent years. “Trying to hang on to the bushels for as long as possible hoping […] Read more

Chuck Penner, analyst with LeftField Commodity Research, is forecasting mustard supplies of around 275,000 tonnes in 2024-25, which would be the largest in at least a decade. | Getty Images

Large supply likely to pressure mustard prices

A second big harvest in a row created a large carryout from the 2023-24 crop, while export program has been lackluster

SASKATOON — Chuck Penner does not think yellow and oriental mustard will experience their usual spring rallies this year. The best-case scenario would be flat prices, but they could easily “leak lower” like brown mustard prices tend to do starting in January. The early outlook for 2024-25 is not good either because of what he […] Read more


Flowering mustard plants.

Killing mosquitoes — with a condiment

Synthetic insecticides are typically used to control mosquito larvae, but a natural option could have advantages

American scientists have learned that mustard is versatile. The yellow condiment can flavour a ham sandwich and it looks great on a hot dog. It can also control mosquitoes. Earlier this year, United States Department of Agriculture scientists reported that chemicals in mustard seeds are effective for killing mosquito larvae. “This is the first report […] Read more

A researcher in a ball cap is bent over looking at immature sunflower plants.

Pooled resources benefit specialty crop research

The Diverse Field Crops Cluster works with camelina, carinata, canaryseed, flax, hemp, mustard, quinoa and sunflowers

After five years of research through a time that included a drought and a pandemic, the Diverse Field Crops Cluster has issued a report on its achievements. Carol Ann Patterson, DFCC project manager, said researchers showed their resourcefulness in keeping projects going despite health restrictions. “People were shut down for a year sometimes or with […] Read more