Some interesting aspects of StatsCan's sowing data
03-Jul-2025 01:30 PM
Ottawa. Statistics Canada (StatsCan), a Canadian government agency, has estimated an increase in the production area of durum wheat, lentils, peas and oats and a decline in the sowing area of canola and barley during the current year as compared to last year.
A report with sowing data released by the agency last month was based on a survey conducted with about 25 thousand farmers between May 15 and June 12.
In the case of some crops, the sowing area and production in Canada and its export potential from Canada have a deep impact on the global market, which includes lentils, peas and canola and to some extent wheat.
Canada is among its top producers and exporters. The agency has estimated the sowing area of lentil to be 4 percent more than last year, which is also more than the five-year average area. If the weather conditions remain favorable, its production can increase well and its stock can increase for export purpose.
As far as canola is concerned, the industry and trade sector had estimated its production area to remain the same as last year, but the data of StatsCan shows that its sowing area decreased by 2.5 percent.
The maximum decline of 8.92 percent was registered in Manitoba province where farmers increased its area by 13 percent by paying special attention to soybean cultivation instead of canola.
Overall increase in the sowing area of lentils was seen, with increase and decrease in the area of different categories. According to the report of StatsCan, compared to last year, this time there has been a strong increase of 29 percent in the sowing area of big (thick) green lentils and the area of small green lentils and other categories of lentils has also increased, but there has been a huge decline of 41 percent in the production area of red lentils.
The main reason for this huge difference in the sowing area is that the price of green lentils remains much higher than that of red lentils.
In recent years, the area under red lentil has increased rapidly but this time the area under red lentil and green lentil has almost come to the same level.
The interesting fact is that for the last few months, there has been a softening trend in the prices of green lentil and the news of increase in sowing area may increase the pressure on the market.
There has been an increase of 9.1 percent in the production area of peas. Its area has increased by 2.2 percent in Saskatchewan and 20.5 percent in Alberta.
The area under yellow peas has increased more. Surprisingly, the area under yellow peas has decreased in Saskatchewan while the area under green lentil has increased, but its cultivation is done in a limited area.