STATCAN: Wheat plantings in Canada highest in over two decades

Winter wheat, which is grown mostly in Eastern Canada, increased 20% to 1.4 million acres in 2023.

Additionally, other crops with increases in plantings in 2023 included canola, barley, corn, and soybeans. Fewer acres were planted for oats, lentils, and dry peas, according to the survey.

StatCan also reported that the acreage planted for soybeans in Canada  also increased in 2023, climbing 6.8% to 5.6 million acres.

According to the survey, farmers in Manitoba increased their soybean plantings by nearly 41% in 2023 to 1.6 million acres, a move reflective of record yields in 2022.

Meanwhile, plantings in Ontario, where more than half of Canada’s soybeans are grown, slipped 5.4% in 2023 to 2.9 million acres, Statistics Canada said.

Canadian farmers also planted more corn in 2023, up 5.5% from 2022 to 3.8 million acres, and increased acreage planted to barley by 3.9%, to 7.3 million acres.

Conversely, plantings of oats plummeted nearly 36% to 2.5 million acres, the lowest oat acreage on record.

“Producers may have opted to seed less area with oats because of high national supply that resulted from strong production in 2022,” Statistics Canada said.