OTTAWA, ONTARIO, CANADA — Increased acreage, higher yields and improved soil moisture all add up to a more than 50% improvement in Canada’s wheat production for marketing year 2022-23, according to a Global Agricultural Information Network report from the Foreign Agricultural Service of the US Department of Agriculture (USDA). 

Total wheat production is estimated to be up 56% from last year’s drought-impacted crop, according to the most recent Statistics Canada data, FAS Post Ottawa noted. Canada is seen harvesting 34.703 million tonnes of wheat from 10.059 million hectares, compared with 22.296 million tonnes from 9.193 million hectares in 2021-22.

Production of spring and durum wheat increased significantly over the previous year. Winter wheat production is estimated down year-over-year on a 22% reduction in area planted in Ontario.

Non-durum and durum wheat are expected to be of high quality, resulting in lower feed-grade wheat supplies.

Wheat exports are forecast to increase on larger domestic supplies to 25 million tonnes, compared with 15.1 million tonnes the previous year. Crop 2022 will be the first sizable crop in four years to compete for rail services with other sectors throughout an entire marketing year.

“Pent up demand driven by relative scarcity last year may lead to frontloaded exports for marketing year 2022-23,” the reported noted. “Durum wheat exports to North Africa (particularly Morocco) and Italy are forecast to increase on larger Canadian durum supplies.”