Corn, soybean acres up nationally, down in Ontario

Monday, June 24, 2013

by BETTER FARMING STAFF

A Statistics Canada report showing Ontario farmers planted fewer acres of corn and soybeans this spring probably has a lot to do with the weather.

Todd Austin, marketing manager for the Grain Farmers of Ontario, says “given the weather we’ve had this spring, those numbers wouldn’t surprise me.” He says wet, cool weather forced some farmers to abandon plans for corn and plant soybeans instead. Even then, because of rain, many have had to replant.

While StatsCan says corn for grain seeding declined 1.6 per cent in Ontario to 2.2 million acres, nationally corn seeding was at a record 3.6 million acres, up 2.9 per cent from last year. The biggest increase was in Manitoba where 365,000 acres were planted, up 21.7 per cent from last year. Quebec farmers also increased corn planting to 1.0 million acres, up 6.6 per cent from 2012.

Nationally, soybean acres are up 10.5 per cent to a record 4.6 million acres. Again, the biggest increase is in Manitoba which is up 35.6 per cent at 1.1 million acres. Ontario soybean planting is 2.6 million acres, down 1.5 per cent from last year. BF