Canadian Grain Inventories Below Last Year

OTTAWA - May 7/08 - SNS -- The amount of grain and oilseeds on farms and in commercial shipping positions is mostly down from year earlier levels, according to Statistics Canada's March 31 stocks in all positions report.

The exceptions were corn, which was at a new record high, and oats, which are above their recent five-year average.

On farm stocks estimates were based on a telephone survey of 16,000 farm operators the last two weeks of March. Farmers were asked to report the amounts of grain, oilseeds and special crops in on-farm storage.

Commercial stocks of western major crops originate from the Canadian Grain Commission. Commercial stocks of corn and soybeans are estimated by a Statistics Canada sample survey of grain elevators in Eastern Canada. Commercial stocks of special crops originate from a survey of handlers and agents of special crops.

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