Canadian Farmers Increase Wheat and Soybean Acres

Canola and barley acreage down as wheat and soybeans rise

In 2025, Canadian farmers increased the planting of wheat, oats, soybeans, lentils, corn, and dry peas, while reducing the area seeded to canola and barley.  

The warm and dry spring conditions across much of Western Canada helped speed up seeding operations, with all Prairie provinces reporting planting progress ahead of their 5- and 10-year averages. However, a lack of rainfall remains a concern for crop development. 

In Eastern Canada, cooler and wetter conditions led to some seeding delays, especially in Ontario and Quebec. Despite the challenges, national wheat planting rose to 26.9 million acres, up 1.0% from 2024. This increase was led by durum wheat (+2.6%) and winter wheat (+18.2%), though spring wheat declined slightly. 

Saskatchewan saw a small dip in wheat acreage, while Alberta reported a 3.2% increase, mainly in durum wheat. Manitoba also increased wheat planting by 1.9%. 

Canola planting declined by 2.5% across Canada, with all three Prairie provinces showing reductions. Manitoba saw the largest drop at 9.2%, followed by Alberta (-2.8%) and Saskatchewan (-0.5%). Factors such as moisture concerns and trade issues may have influenced these changes. 

Soybean planting reached 5.7 million acres, a 0.5% rise from last year. Quebec led with a record 1.1 million acres, while Manitoba increased by 13%. However, Ontario’s soybean acreage dropped by 7.4%, aligning with its five-year average. 

Barley planting fell by 4.2% to 6.1 million acres. Alberta led the decline with a 5.7% drop. Oat seeding rose 3.3% nationwide, likely due to low oat stock levels. Alberta and Manitoba both reported 6.4% increases in oat planting. 

These shifts in crop acreage highlight how weather patterns and market dynamics are shaping planting decisions across Canada’s farming regions. 

Photo Credit: gettyimages-dszc