Canadian Oilseed Harvest Drops

OTTAWA - Dec 6/07 - SNS -- Oilseed production was down sharply from last year, with combined output of canola, flax and soybeans sinking from to 12.081 million metric tons (MT), according to Statistics Canada final crop report of the year.

Prairie farmers reported that canola production declined 3.2% to 8.7 million MT, the result of a drop in yield to a below-average 26.4 bushels per acre. The dip in production occurred despite a record harvest area of 14.5 million acres. The previous record was 14.2 million acres, reported in 1994. Except for 2006, planted canola on the Prairies has been on the rise since 2001, when the area planted was just 9.4 million acres.

In Manitoba, production fell 6.0% to 1.7 million MT. This decline occurred despite a record 2.9 million acres planted.

In Saskatchewan, canola production rose 6.8% to 3.9 million MT, the result of a jump in harvested area to a record 7.2 million acres. The previous record in harvested acreage of 6.6 million acres was set in 1999.

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