CANADA (13 May)
The Statistics Canada (STC) seeding intentions survey for 2004/05, conducted during late March, indicated that Canadian farmers plan to shift some area out of wheat and coarse grains into non-cereal crops and the overall cereal area for the year will decrease. An increase in maize area in eastern Canada may be the only exception. However, on the basis of the planting survey, and assuming trend yields for all regions except for Alberta and Saskatchewan, where precipitation has been below normal and subsoil moisture reserves remain low, output of wheat is nevertheless forecast by Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC) to increase slightly in 2004 because of higher yields expected for durum, which normally makes up about 20 percent of the total crop. Production of coarse grains is now expected to decrease marginally by about 1 percent to about 26.4 million tonnes.
As of 10 May, good seeding progress was reported in all three major producing prairie provinces. Overall, seeding progress was estimated at 26 percent complete, slightly ahead of the normal 20 percent for the corresponding date. Precipitation in the form of both snow and rain during the week ending 10 May provided welcome moisture in western growing areas of Alberta.