Canadian farmers have shifted their cropping strategies in 2025, reporting increased seeding of wheat, soybeans, corn, oats, lentils, and dry peas, while reducing acres planted to canola and barley, according to the June 27 release from Statistics Canada.
Prairie Seeding Progress Ahead of Average
Warm, dry spring conditions in Western Canada supported quick seeding progress, outpacing 5- and 10-year averages across Alberta, Saskatchewan, and Manitoba. However, a lack of rainfall remains a concern. In contrast, cooler and wetter conditions in Eastern Canada caused some seeding delays, particularly in Ontario and Quebec.
Wheat Acres Rise Slightly
Total wheat area rose 1.0% to 26.9 million acres nationally. Growth was driven by:
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Durum wheat: up 2.6% to 6.5 million acres
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Winter wheat: up 18.2% to 1.6 million acres
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Spring wheat: down 0.7% to 18.8 million acres
By province:
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Alberta: wheat up 3.2% to 8.1M acres
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Manitoba: up 1.9% to 3.3M acres
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Saskatchewan: down 1.1% to 14.0M acres
Canola Planting Declines
Canola area dropped 2.5% nationally to 21.5 million acres, with decreases across all three Prairie provinces:
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Saskatchewan: down 0.5% to 12.0M acres
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Alberta: down 2.8% to 6.2M acres
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Manitoba: down 9.2% to 3.0M acres
Soybean Surge in Quebec and Manitoba
Soybean area edged up 0.5% to 5.7 million acres nationally. Highlights include:
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Quebec: record high of 1.1M acres (+4.4%)
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Manitoba: up 13.0% to 1.6M acres
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Ontario: down 7.4% to 2.9M acres
Other Crop Highlights
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Corn for grain: up 2.2% nationally to 3.7M acres
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Ontario: up 3.1%
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Manitoba: up 7.6%
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Quebec: down 2.8%
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Oats: up 3.3% to 3.0M acres
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Alberta and Manitoba: both up 6.4%
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Barley: down 4.2% to 6.1M acres
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Lentils: up 4.0% to 4.4M acres
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Dry peas: up 9.1% to 3.5M acres
This shift in planting reflects regional weather impacts, market signals, and evolving crop preferences, positioning farmers to navigate both climatic and economic uncertainties in 2025.
