Led by canola and durum, wheat crop production declined significantly this fall, according to the fall crop production survey by Statistics Canada.
This comes on the heels of 2018 when net farm income fell by one-half.
Compounding the dismal farm income scene, prices for most farm commodities have taken a tumble.
Canola price dropped 8.2 per cent from a year ago, according to the Saskatchewan Agriculture Market Trends for Dec. 4.
Number One red spring wheat price declined 18.1 per cent while feed barley fell 17.5 per cent.
Durum price, increasing 23 per cent, was the bright spot with oats up 7.7 per cent and flax up almost two per cent.
Poor harvest weather reduced quality and prices of this year’s crop.
Canola production fell 8.3 per cent nationally to 18.6 million tonnes, the lowest level since 2015.
National canola acres fell 8.8 per cent with yields up one-half per cent to 40 bushels an acre.
Saskatchewan canola growers dropped production to 10.1 million tonnes with a 7.1 per cent acreage reduction to 11.4 million acres. Yield of 39.3 bushels per acre was unchanged.
Spring wheat production across Canada increased 7.2 per cent on fewer acres but durum wheat production fell 23.4 per cent.
Combined spring wheat and durum production of 32.3 million tonnes was up one-half per cent.
Barley production fell 21 per cent to 10.38 million tonnes while oats was up 21 per cent to 4.1 million tonnes.
Among pulses, lentil production increased 3.6 per cent to 2.16 million tonnes; field peas were up 18.3 per cent to 4.23 million tonnes; dry beans fell 7.1 per cent to 317,000 tonnes; and chick peas fell 19 per cent to 252,000 tonnes
Flax fell 1.3 per cent to 326,000 tonnes with mustard seed down 22 per cent to 42,800 tonnes.
Canary seed fell 21 per cent to 125,000 tonnes.
Ron Walter can be reached at ronjoy@sasktel.net
