Ontario growers aim for record soybean crop

Tuesday, April 27, 2010

by PATRICIA GROTENHUIS

An increased market demand and less wheat in the rotation are motivating Ontario growers to break provincial records in soybean acreage planting this year.

Ontario soybean producers are expected to plant 2.5 million acres in Ontario, an increase of 2.5 per cent, or 50,000 acres over last year, according to a report from Statistics Canada released yesterday.

Statistics Canada projects the national acreage will reach 3.5 million this year.

Seamus Hoban, Economist at the Grain Farmers of Ontario says the combination of strong demand and wet fall weather in 2009 are the main factors behind the record planting intentions.

“There’s a lot less wheat than in 2009, so farmers are changing their rotations,” he explains.

Lindsay Barfoot, Agricorp account lead, grain sector, says only 586,000 acres of wheat are insured in 2010 compared to 717,000 in 2009 and a record high in 2008 of 1.01 million acres.

Dave Park of Parkland Farms in Sarnia says he’s planning to increase soybean acreage this spring to accommodate decreased wheat acreage.

“I think the wet weather last fall had a lot to do with it (the expected soybean increase),” says Park.

In 2009, Parkland Farms grew 45 per cent corn, 38 per cent soybeans and 17 per cent wheat.  This year, Park expects the numbers to be 42 per cent corn, 47 per cent soybeans and 11 per cent wheat.

Chris White, of Country Farm Seeds, agrees that decreased wheat acres is the most notable factor prompting farmers to increase soybean acreage. Lower prices for glyphosate sprays, which helps make weed control in tolerant varieties more affordable, may be another factor, he says.

Hoban says soybean prices have been staying fairly high on the world market even with an increase in South American soybean acreage. Demand from China has been a major driving force in global soybean prices. Currently, the country is experiencing a corn shortage and exploring substitutes.

Soybean acres always fluctuate, but overall have increased because of increased research and the availability of more short season varieties, says Hoban. Statistics Canada’s numbers are the highest ever projected for Ontario producers, he adds.

White says soybean seed sales have increased at his business this spring. The early arrival of spring will help growers by allowing them more time to plant the increased acreage before it gets too late in the season, says Hoban.

Park doubts planting such a large proportion of his land in soybeans will become the norm.

“If this fall is drier, we’ll definitely get back to planting more wheat,” says Park, adding they try and stay with their rotation whenever possible. BF