Jaw Dropping Canadian Crop Estimates

VANCOUVER - Dec 3/10 - SNS -- Statistics Canada's final crop production estimates for 2010 contained jaw dropping changes from numbers released during the growing season, confirming the adage that "rain makes grain".

The most dramatic change was in the estimated size of this year's lentil harvest, which jumped from an estimated 1.557 million metric tons (MT) during the harvest to a bumper 1.947 million MT crop, up 28.9% from last year's 1.51 million MT result.

Revisions to seeded area were behind increased production estimates for several specialty crops. The final lentil seeded area was 3.48 million acres, up from 3.045 million in the October crop report. Field pea seedings inched up 25,000 acres to 3.45 million; while chickpeas jumped from 150,000 to 205,000 acres; canaryseed rose 5,000 to 320,000 acres; mustard increased 70,000 to 480,000 acres; and dry edible bean seedings rose 10,000 to 336,100 acres.

Average yields ended up being significantly higher for lentils than initially tought. Statistics Canada boosted that number from 1,127 to 1,233 pounds per acre for all classes of lentils grown in western Canada. Average pea yields advanced from 1,787 to 1,829 pounds per acre; while chickpeas yields jumped from 1,188 to 1,380 pounds; canaryseed sand from 1,028 to 762 pounds; mustard seed inched up from 85 to 858 pounds; and dry edible bean yields advanced from 1,608 to 1,665 pounds per seeded acre.

The percentage of abandoned acres were slightly higher than thought for lentils, with farmers failing to harvest 8% of the crop, instead of the 7.7% forecast in October. Farmers did not harvest 5.3% of this year's pea crop, down from initial forecasts they would abandon 8.2% of the crop. Canaryseed growers failed to harvest 6.9% of their crops, instead of the 10.5% they expected to abandon.

It is important to note that Statistics Canada's final production and seeded area estimates are based on a survey of 27,600 Canadian farmers between October 25 to November 12. Commenting on the survey results, the federal agency said. "Farmers in Manitoba and Saskatchewan reported problems with poor grain quality, the result of a slow and wet initial harvest and early frost damage. Yields for wheat and canola were lower than last year. In Alberta, however, farmers reported better yields for these same crops compared with 2009."