Canada Rapeseed: 2016/17 Area Harvested forecast to Drop

USDA forecasts 2016/17 area harvested for Canada rapeseed at 7.7million hectares, down 4.3 percent from last year. The decrease is attributed to farmers switching to crops with higher net returns, such as pulses, and crop rotation. According to Statistics Canada, seeded area in Saskatchewan and Alberta are expected to drop by 2.6 and 7.8 percent respectively from last year. Manitoba is forecast to plant the same amount as last year.

Yield is forecast at trend, or 2.0 metric tons per hectare, down 5.2 percent from 2015/16, which was the second highest yield on record. Production is forecast at 15.50 million metric tons, down 9.9 percent from 2015 because of a decline in harvested area.

Growing Conditions:

Seeding progress across the western prairies is ahead of the 5-year average due to dry and warm conditions. Saskatchewan officials report that spring planting was 81 percent complete as of May 23, 2016, compared to the 5-year average of 59 percent. Alberta and Saskatchewan, which comprise close to 90 percent of total rapeseed production, both reported in their late May provincial reports that rapeseed seeding was close to 87 percent complete.

Rainfall at the end of May benefitted crop establishment. Soil moisture in both Saskatchewan and Alberta was reported at 86 percent excellent- to-good as of May 23. Consequently, farmers are reporting good crop emergence due to warm temperatures and adequate soil moisture. Last year emergence was delayed due to insufficient rainfall early in the growing season coupled with a late season frost. This year both Saskatchewan and Alberta report crop development as normal to slightly ahead of normal.

Current USDA area and production estimates for grains and other agricultural commodities are available on IPAD's Agricultural Production page or at PSD Online.

Visit Crop Explorer http://www.pecad.fas.usda.gov/cropexplorer/