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StatsCan reports increased planting intentions

May 1, 2013, Canada – Planting intentions for 2013 show increases in spring wheat and durum wheat compared with 2012, as well as a possible decrease in canola acreage, according to the results of the Statistics Canada March Farm Survey. Indications are that both corn for grain and soybean areas could reach new records nationally.

Farmers may modify their plans prior to planting time as a result of environmental conditions. Some farmers reported that they were still undecided about their final strategies for 2013 as snow lingered in fields in most parts of Canada at the time of the survey.

Canola
First indications are that Canadian farmers may seed 19.1 million acres of canola, down 11.1 per cent from 2012. This would be the first decrease in canola area at the national level since 2006.

This decrease is mainly driven by Saskatchewan, where farmers anticipate a 10.9 per cent decrease in canola area to 10.0 million acres. Decreases in canola acreage are also expected in all other provinces. Alberta canola area may decline 8.6 per cent to 5.9 million acres and Manitoba canola acreage may decrease 15.8 per cent to 3.0 million acres.

Wheat
Nationally, spring wheat area could rise 14.4 per cent or 2.4 million acres to 19.4 million acres in 2013. Similarly, durum wheat acreage is expected to increase for a third consecutive year to 5.1 million acres in 2013, up from 4.7 million acres in 2012.

In Saskatchewan, intentions show spring wheat acreage rising to 9.9 million acres, up 17 per cent or 1.4 million acres. Durum wheat acreage in Saskatchewan is expected to rise 7.8 per cent to 4.4 million acres in 2013.

In Alberta, land seeded to spring wheat could reach 6.4 million acres, up 10.5 per cent from the area seeded in 2012. In Manitoba, farmers anticipate seeding 2.8 million acres of spring wheat, up 14.9 per cent from 2012.

Barley and oats
At a national level, barley area is expected to decrease 2.2 per cent to 7.2 million acres.

Canadian farmers also plan to seed 3.4 million acres of oats in 2013, up 18.4 per cent from 2012.

Corn for grain
In Ontario, farmers expect to seed 2.3 million acres of corn for grain, up two per cent from 2012. This would be above the previous record of 2.2 million acres set in 2012.

In Quebec, farmers anticipate the area seeded in corn for grain to rise 15.8 per cent to reach 1.1 million acres in 2013.

Soybeans
Canadian farmers are expecting to seed a record soybean area of 4.3 million acres in 2013, up 3.4 per cent from 2012.

This increase is mainly driven by Manitoba, where farmers anticipate seeding a record 1.1 million acres of soybeans in 2013.

Conversely, slight decreases are expected in Ontario and Quebec. Ontario farmers anticipate seeding 2.5 million acres of soybeans in 2013, down 4.8 per cent from the record 2012 area. Meanwhile, Quebec farmers plan to seed 667,200 acres acres of soybeans, down 3.6 per cent.

May 1, 2013  By Statistics Canada


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