FAO/GIEWS - Foodcrops & Shortages 06/99 - CANADA (4 June)
In Canada, the official March seeding intentions report pointed to a marginal reduction in the wheat area compared to the previous year. Planting started in early may but progress during the month was slow due to wet conditions. Furthermore, the cool wet weather is reported to be favouring disease build-up, which may prove detrimental to crops. However, assuming an improvement in the weather and normal conditions prevail in June and July, farmers could still manage to meet their planting intentions and wheat output in 1999 is forecast at about 23.5 million tonnes. The area sown to coarse grains is also forecast to be reduced somewhat this year as farmers are expected to switch land to other non- cereal crops. Although much still depends on the weather for the remainder of the planting season, aggregate coarse grains production in 1999 is tentatively forecast to fall to about 25 million tonnes, compared to nearly 27 million tonnes in 1998.
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