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Principal field crop report

April 21, 2016, Canada – Canadian farmers intend to plant more barley and corn for grain in 2016 than in 2015, but smaller areas of wheat, canola, soybeans and oats, according to the Statistics Canada March Farm Survey.

Wheat
Nationally, farmers reported that they intend to plant 23.8 million acres of wheat in 2016, down 1.1 per cent from last year. Planting intentions for spring wheat are 16 million acres, one million acres lower than in 2015. Meanwhile, durum wheat is expected to grow 5.2 per cent to 6.1 million acres. Winter wheat remaining for harvest is expected to increase 31.6 per cent to 1.7 million acres in 2016.

Each of the Prairie provinces expected lower seeding areas for wheat compared with 2015, while farmers in the East anticipate seeding more wheat.

In Saskatchewan, total area seeded for wheat is anticipated to decline 3.5 per cent to 12.6 million acres. Seeding intentions for spring wheat are down 9.6 per cent to 7.1 million acres in 2016. However, acreage dedicated to durum wheat is expected to rise 5.5 per cent to 5.3 million acres, its highest level since 2000.

Farmers in Alberta reported that the total area intended for wheat should edge down 0.6 per cent to 6.8 million acres. Spring wheat area is expected to decline 1.8 per cent this year to 5.8 million acres. It is anticipated that durum wheat acreage will increase three per cent to 845,000 acres.

Manitoba farmers anticipate seeding 2.8 million acres of spring wheat in 2016, down 3.4 per cent from 2015.

Canola
Canadian farmers reported that they intend to sow 19.3 million acres of canola in 2016, down 3.7 per cent from last year.

Saskatchewan producers reported that they intend to seed 10.4 million acres, 2.6 per cent lower compared with 2015. Farmers in Alberta also anticipate decreasing their canola planted area by 7.8 per cent in 2016 to 5.6 million acres. Manitoba farmers reported no change in the size of the canola area (3.1 million acres) they intend to seed in 2016.

Soybeans
Farmers intend to plant 5.3 million acres of soybeans in 2016, down 1.9 per cent from 2015.

Ontario remains the province with the largest soybean planted area, as producers are expecting to seed 2.7 million acres, accounting for around half of the national soybean area anticipated in 2016. However, the province's intentions are down 7.8 per cent from last year.

Producers in Manitoba, the province with second largest soybean area, intend to sow 1.5 million acres of soybeans in 2016, an increase of 10.1% compared with 2015. Quebec producers expect to plant 783,300 acres of soybeans, up 0.6 per cent from the previous year.

Saskatchewan producers are anticipating a 9.3 per cent decline in seeded area to 245,000 acres.

Barley and oats
Barley seeded area is expected to rise 3.8 per cent from 2015 to 6.8 million acres, with the Prairies accounting for 95 per cent of planting intentions.

Oat planting intentions for 2016 are three million acres, down 10.9 per cent from 2015. Alberta is the only province to report an anticipated increase in oat area, with farmers expecting to seed 730,000 acres, nine per cent more than in 2015.

Corn for grain
National corn for grain seeding area is expected to rise 6.2 per cent in 2016 to 3.5 million acres. Ontario farmers anticipate planting 2.2 million acres, up 4.6 per cent from 2015. In Quebec, corn for grain area is expected to increase 4.1 per cent to 939,000 acres.

April 21, 2016  By Statistics Canada