Wheat, canola, barley and oats this summer are down: report

Ottawa – A recent report from Statistics Canada finds that stocks of most crops in Canada were down from the same date in 2012.

In its most recent report – Stocks of principal field crops, July 31, 2013 – StatsCan finds that most principal field crops in the country are down.

The next update is due out Oct. 4, 2013.

The report found that:
• Total stocks of wheat decreased 14.8% to 5.1 million metric tonnes as of July 31, mostly because of a 16.5% decline in commercial stocks.

Stocks held on farms fell 202,000 tonnes to 1.6 million tonnes, mainly driven by Alberta, where on-farm stocks decreased by 160,000 tonnes (or -23.5%) to 520,000 tonnes.
The five-year average for total stocks of wheat at July 31 is 5.5 million tonnes.

• For canola, total stocks fell 14% to 608,100 tonnes as of July 31. This was significantly lower than the five-year average of 1.5 million tonnes.

The decrease was mostly the result of a 24.3% drop in commercial stocks to 408,100 tonnes. However, on-farm stocks were up 19% from the same date in 2012 to 200,000 tonnes.

• Total stocks of barley were down 17.7% (or -212,000 tonnes) from the same date a year earlier to 983,400 tonnes as of July 31.
On-farm barley stocks explain the majority of the decline, with levels dropping 17% (or -163,000 tonnes) to 794,000 tonnes. The five-year average for total stocks of barley stands at 1.6 million tonnes.

• Total stocks of oats declined 36.9% from July 31, 2012 to 510,800 tonnes. The five-year average levels stands at 846,200 tonnes. Commercial stocks were down 29% to 170,800 tonnes, while on-farm stocks fell 40.2% to 340,000 tonnes.