October 8, 2013
Canada''s rapeseed production exceeds industry''s 2015 target
The Canola Council of Canada''s 2007 initiative "Growing Great 2015," to see Canada produce 15 million tonnes of rapeseed/year by 2015 and which was also described as an ambitious plan on its release, may now have come in ahead of time.
"Farmers across Canada work hard and take risks in order to bring in a crop, and when they succeed as they have this year, that''s cause for celebration," council president Patti Miller said in a release.
The council''s statement responds to Statistics Canada''s release of its September estimates for production of principal field crops. StatsCan''s survey found, despite a lower harvested area in 2013 compared to 2012, Canadian rapeseed growers expect an overall 15.9% increase in rapeseed production, to 16 million tonnes -- which would translate to a 31.3% rise in yield to 36.9 bushels per acre.
StatsCan reported that Saskatchewan''s rapeseed production alone is expected to rise 24.2% this year to a record 8.1 million tonnes, based on an average yield forecast of 35.2 bushels/acre, up from 25.1 bushels in 2012, on harvested area of 10.1 million acres, down 11.4%.
Meanwhile, Manitoba expects a 24.5% production increase to 2.6 million tonnes, on a 44.8% gain in average yield. Alberta''s rapeseed production is expected to rise to 5.2 million tonnes, up 2.3% from 2012, StatsCan said.
The 2007 "Growing Great 2015" plan set industry targets not only for production but for seed exports and domestic crushing (7.5 million tonnes each), as well as a 45% average oil content from seed and a 10% increase in energy content (kcals/kg) for rapeseed meal.
To get there, the council said at the time, the industry was to "focus on those markets for which rapeseed''s primary attributes -- high oil yield and low saturated fat -- will create superior value and benefit human and environmental health."
The Canola Council''s target of 15 million tonnes of production was based on Canada''s 2006 rapeseed production of nine million tonnes.