July 21, 2000

Canadian Corn and Soybean Prospects Falter in Cool, Wet Conditions

Corn production in 2000/01 is estimated at 9.0 million tons, down 1.2 million from last month and down 0.1 million from last year. Area fell from 1.3 million hectares last month to a still-record level of 1.2 million this month. The strong boost in area results from greater demand for feed and industrial use. Area would likely have been higher, but excessive rainfall throughout the spring in Ontario and Quebec, where the largest amount of corn is grown, prevented fieldwork early in the season. As a result, many farmers opted to plant soybeans because of the shorter required growing season. Soybean production is estimated at a record 3.0 million tons in the USDA’s first 2000/01 forecast, up 0.2 million tons from last year. Area rose to a record 1.1 million hectares, up 0.1 million hectares from both last year and Statistic Canada’s March forecast. While corn and soybean crops in the nearby American Midwest are doing well, further north in Canada excessive rain and cool temperatures have delayed both crops and may hurt yield and quality.

Corn

map of Canadian corn area

Ontario grows about 63 percent of Canada’s corn. The province’s main corn growing region in the southeast had 179 percent of its normal rainfall between March 30 and June 30. The normal deadline to apply for Unseeded Acreage Benefit crop insurance for corn is June 15, but this year the province gave farmers until June 30. The Ontario Corn Producers’ Association is describing it as the worst crop season in southern Ontario since 1992, a year when both area and yield dropped roughly 15 percent below average. Conditions in the main southeast corn area near Lake Erie (which grows 50 percent of Ontario’s corn) and near Lake Huron (30 percent of provincial corn) are highly variable. Low lying fields are flooded, and in many other fields the plants are a pale green to yellow color. Some fields had to be re-seeded one or more times this spring. Low temperatures hampered development. Leaf rust is reported in the region, and will remain a problem with the wet conditions. However, scattered throughout these areas there are thriving fields that were planted early, did not require re-seeding, and benefitted from the above-normal precipitation.

Quebec grows about 32 percent of Canada’s corn, all near its southern border adjoining Ontario. By June 30 its corn growing region had received 167 percent of normal rainfall for the preceding three months, and the crop is currently two to three weeks behind normal development. Throughout May and June the corn region had surplus soil moisture and variable crop conditions. Quebec’s crop insurance group forecasts normal corn quality and yields, but also reports rain damaged corn in every crop sector in the region.

Soybeans

map of Canadian soybean area

Ontario grows roughly 86 percent of Canada’s soybeans. Heavy spring rains prevented farmers from planting as much corn as they intended. As soon as the ideal corn planting window passed, farmers started switching to soybeans because of their shorter growing season. Even then, the unceasing heavy rains kept some farmers from planting for so long that they left some fields fallow. The Lake Erie area in southeast Ontario reports that about 40 percent of their intended soybean acreage remains unseeded. The normal deadline to apply for Unseeded Acreage Benefit crop insurance for soybeans is June 30, but this year the province gave farmers until July 5. Many fields that were planted on time had to be re-seeded because of uneven emergence. Like corn, soybean conditions are highly variable. Current growth stages range from unifoliate to 8^th trifoliate. Excessive moisture is causing problems with pests, root rot, brown spot, and soybean cyst nematode.

For more information, contact Suzanne Miller with the Production Estimates and Crop Assessment Division on (202) 720-0882