Canada: Canadian farmers report reduced production of barley this year

Roughly 27,000 Canadian farmers were asked about their 2023 crop and reported producing more corn for grain and soybeans, but less wheat, canola, barley, and oats in 2023, panow.com reported on December 8.

Throughout the growing season in 2023, dry conditions across much of Western Canada contributed to lower yields compared with 2022. Warm and dry conditions allowed farm operators to complete harvests in a timely manner across most of the prairies.

In parts of Eastern Canada, adequate moisture and warm temperatures resulted in good yields, although some parts of Quebec and the Atlantic provinces may have been affected by above-average precipitation.

Barley production fell 10.9 per cent to 8.9 million tonnes in 2023. The decrease was driven by lower yields compared with 2022, falling 12.9 per cent to 61.3 bushels per acre, likely because of dry conditions in parts of the Prairies.

Total wheat production fell by 6.9 per cent to 32.0 million tonnes in 2023, due to lower production in the Prairies, likely because of dry conditions. Yields were lower by 12.1 per cent to average 44.5 bushels per acre. That number was offset by a higher harvested area.

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