Canadian Crop Yields Down

Statistics Canada reported that weather conditions led to a decline in Canadian prairie field crop yields in 2009. Declines were seen in the output of barley, oats, canola, spring wheat, durum wheat and field peas from 2008 levels, caused by both drought during the germination period and excessive rain in eastern regions.

On the prairies, canola production fell 6.5% to 11.7 million tons in 2009, the result of a decline in harvested area, Statistics Canada said. Production of barley fell 20.5% to 8.9 million tons, while oat production dropped 37.9% to 2.4 million tons. Field pea production declined 5.4% to 3.4 million tons.

However, soybean production in Ontario rose by 142,900 tons to 2.6 million tons, up 5.8% from 2008, which the agency said was a result of an increase in harvested area to 2.4 million acres.