According to the Winnipeg Free Press, unprecedented spring rains are going to lead to the lowest wheat acreage planted in the Canadian Prairies in 40 years. The Canadian Wheat Board is estimating that 8.5 million to 12.5 million acres of farmland will go unplanted this year in the prairie provinces. On average, 60 million acres are planted. More than half of the unplanted area will be in Saskatchewan where central Saskatchewan has been hardest hit.
Rainfall amounts in the Saskatoon area have washed out previous records and are greater by far than any year since record keeping began in 1900.
The CWB is forecasting total Prairie wheat production at around 18.9 million metric tons. The five-year average crop size is 23.08 million. However, yield estimates are still above 10-year averages.Of the 10 million acres that may go unseeded, about three million are expected to be wheat and other estimates have said canola planting may be off by five million acres.
Across the Prairies, farmers are reporting about 78 per cent of their seeding completed at time when they ought to be at 100 per cent. In Saskatchewan, they are only at 70 per cent.
Source: Winnipeg Free Press
Posted by Haylie Shipp
