Top Crop Manager

News Storage Harvesting
StatsCan publishes field crop stock data for the end of 2019

February 6, 2020  By Top Crop Manager


Statistics Canada recently released their “Stocks of principal field crops” figures as of Dec. 31, 2019. Compared to the same date in 2018, total stocks of barley, oats and dry peas were all up, while total stocks of wheat, canola, corn for grain, lentils and soybeans were down.

Statistics Canada says that, because of poor weather conditions during harvest, a substantial amount of crops likely remained unharvested at the time of the survey, which was conducted from Dec. 13, 2019, to Jan. 15, 2020. Farmers were asked to include only crops harvested and currently in storage when reporting stocks of principal field crops. Crops harvested after the collection period for the December survey will be included in later surveys.

For more detailed information and tables, visit 150.statcan.gc.ca/.

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Barley

Barley stocks rose 20.6 per cent year-over-year (YOY) to 6.0 million tonnes as of Dec. 31. On-farm stocks were largely responsible for the increase, rising 19.5 per cent to 5.6 million tonnes. Commercial stocks increased 36.5 per cent to 403,900 tonnes.

Barley production rose 23.9 per cent to 10.4 million tonnes in 2019, offsetting record low carry-in stocks and pushing total stocks higher.

Canola

Overall, stocks of canola were down 2.4 per cent YOY to 14.3 million tonnes as of Dec. 31. This decrease was attributable to a 5.9 per cent decline in on-farm stocks to 12.4 million tonnes, which offset a 28.6 per cent increase in commercial stocks to 1.9 million tonnes.

Despite higher carry-in stocks (up by 52.9 per cent), lower canola production in 2019, coupled with higher industrial use (up by 8.0 per cent), led to the decline in total canola stocks. Canola exports were down 14.7 per cent, or 641,100 tonnes, largely because of lower exports to China.

Corn for grain

Total stocks of corn for grain were down 8.1 per cent YOY to 10.7 million tonnes as of Dec. 31. On-farm stocks fell 5.8 per cent, while commercial stocks decreased 14.3 per cent.

Lower production in 2019 and lower carry-in stocks from the previous crop year were responsible for the decrease in total corn stocks.

Dry peas and lentils

Stocks of dry peas rose 3.2 per cent YOY to 2.6 million tonnes as of Dec. 31. On-farm stocks (up 8.0 per cent to 2.4 million tonnes) were responsible for the increase, which offset a 26.7 per cent decrease in commercial stocks.

Meanwhile, stocks of lentils were down 14.9 per cent. On-farm stocks decreased 14.3 per cent to 1.6 million tonnes, while commercial stocks fell 19.9 per cent to 180,700 tonnes.

The decline in the total stocks of lentils was attributable to lower carry-in stocks (27.7 per cent less), higher exports (up by 18.6 per cent) and greater domestic disappearance (up by 39.6 per cent).

Oats

Nationally, stocks of oats rose 11.0 per cent YOY to 2.7 million tonnes as of Dec. 31. Both on-farm stocks (up by 9.0 per cent) and commercial stocks (up by 30.9 per cent) contributed to the increase.

Soybeans

Nationally, soybean stocks fell 9.4 per cent YOY to 3.9 million tonnes as of Dec. 31. On-farm stocks, down 14.2 per cent to 2.4 million tonnes, were responsible for the decrease, while commercial stocks were unchanged.

Wheat

Total wheat stocks were down 0.5 per cent YOY to 25.0 million tonnes as of Dec. 31. On-farm stocks were up 1.5 per cent to 20.8 million tonnes, while commercial stocks decreased 9.6 per cent to 4.2 million tonnes.

Despite a 0.5 per cent increase in total wheat production at the national level in 2019, lower carry-in stocks (down 10.3 per cent from the previous year to 6.0 million tonnes) were responsible for the drop in total stocks. Lower wheat exports compared with the same period a year earlier contributed to the decrease in commercial stocks.

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