Seeded acreage estimates

Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada has come out with its latest market forecast for grains, oilseeds and specialty crops. The forecast includes an estimate of this year’s seeded acreage and their numbers generally look quite plausible, assuming there isn’t a major acreage that has to go unseeded. The biggest acreage drop is forecast on lentils, down 22 per cent, with most of that coming from a drop in red lentils. Mustard is expected to be down 12 per cent, with field peas down 7 per cent. The biggest percentage increase in acres is expected on flax. Ag Canada is calling for flaxseed to recover most of last year’s losses with a 70 per cent increase in acreage. The next biggest increase is expected on durum at 28 per cent, followed closely by oats at 27 per cent. A 12 percent increase is forecast for canaryseed. That crop is looking at an extremely tight stocks to use ratio after last year’s small production. There has been a great deal of speculation over canola acreage. Ag Canada is predicting a 10 per cent increase. That would be a new record of 18.5 million acres. Some analysts have been even more bullish on canola acres, but the price is down about $2 a bushel from the peak. I’m Kevin Hursh.