Western Canada's Cron Production Rising

WINNIPEG - Jul 13/02 - STAT -- Western Canadian corn production has been growing steadily in recent years, but still accounts for just 3% of Canada's total output a the region remains more interested in producing barley and oats to meet coarse grain needs.

In a recent report on western Canada's corn industry, Sergio Novelli, and analyst with the Market Analysis Division of Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada's office here, noted almost all corn produced in western Canada is grown in the Manitoba Red River Valley with a small amount grown in Alberta. Prior to 1978, very little corn was produced in Manitoba.

Novelli said in 1981, corn area reached a record 91,100 hectares and production was almost 432,000 metric tons (MT). However, as a result of poor weather and varietal problems in the early 1980s, area seeded thereafter dropped significantly. Area seeded in the late 1980s and early 1990s increased but low prices and adverse weather again led to a lower area seeded during the 1992-1995 period.

Since 1996, production in Manitoba has trended upward due to higher seeded area, new lower heat unit varieties and good growing conditions. In 2000, the second highest corn crop at 264,200 MT was produced for grain use, while an additional 362,900 MT was harvested for silage and/or fodder. For 2002, Agriculture and Agri-food Canada (AAFC) is forecasting a crop of 355,000 MT of grain corn with an additional 650,000 MT of silage.

In Alberta over the past 20 years, seeded area has ranged from a low of about 1,100 hectares in 1996 to a high of 6,100 hectares in 2000.

The subscriber version of the article is available by Clicking here