Average canola yields

[ward.toma]

Average yields in the 3 prairie provinces between 1970 and 2002 bounced between 15 and 25 bu/acre average. Since 2004 they have bounced between 25 and 30 bu/acre average. This data is freely availalbe from Stats Canada, (CANSIM, table 001-0010).

This is the final year end data, after revisions. It is generally quite close to actual production. For Alberta at least, it tracks quite close to the volume that canola service charge is paid on. Slippage is very low due to minimal on farm feeding causing self refunding.

[sawfly]

we dropped the ball.
letting public research die.

the main reason for the huge adoption
was weed control. liberty RR and clearfeild .

remember the insane prices for grassy weed control and muster.
it was all part of the plan leading us down the garden path to where we are now.

if we had started at 60$/ acre for seed. we would have viewed it differently.

all those chems are off patent
and should be cheap like borsch.
but their not because , the govt. has regulated a monopoly as a gift for the chem and seed gaints
.

until you open the border to off patent dirt cheap chems from china.

the chem and seed industry will still get their blood from conventional Canola .

i can sort of see why we have tariffs on stuff like tires,
so we maintain jobs in north America
making tires

but with chemicals , in this globalized world. i will bet most of the active ingredient, is already sourced from china.

so if you can buy it cheap and sell for a fortune in a captive market.
you will have lots left over to feed
your political friends .

if they had to compete on a world stage, it would be a whole different ball game.
they could maybe charge 25$/ acre(seed)
because we would have a viable conventional option

[Wheatking]

I would argue that canola is grown on a lot of non traditional acres. I have friends in the south who are happy with a 30BPA crop, but they have only been growing canola in the area for the past 5-10 years, I would imagine that is a drag on yield. Also areas of MB that were generally high yield areas are switching to soybeans.

I know that on my farm the avg yield has gone up from mid 20's 20 years ago to low 40's now. It used to be I was ecstatic with a 30BPA crop, now its a disaster.

I am not happy at all with the seed price but I am extremely happy with my yeild improvements over the past few decades.

[cris]

Make sure your using the most current chart. The latest canola chart has some very large changes in it compared to previous. Its caught me a few times!

[Hopperbin]

Wheatking I remember that also closer to 25 30 years ago 25 bushel stubble canola people were growing with a concoction of 50 dollars per acre chemicals before the rr or ll. We did not grow stubble canola back then opted for summerfallow canola less fert and chemical. For 30 to 35 yield. And much cleaner fields for following crops.

[gustgd]

I'm going to agree with Wheatking here.

This thread seems to be focused on cost of seed rather than profit per acre.

If you aren't making money stop growing crop!
Klause and others have talked about growing OP Clearfield varieties, how many of you have looked into it.
I haven't, but with all the lentils we grow Clearfield canola is a weed.

Your provincial canola grower organizations have looked at farmer owned/public canola breeding companies. The business case wasn't there at the time. Get them to dust off studies to revisit.

Again I'll restate look at canola as a system, and returns per acre.

[hobbyfrmr]

I somewhat agree with Gust, there are some fairly large areas in Sask that are highly dependant on canola for profit.

[tweety]

I think of SK should grow westar.

[tweety]

all of.

The other thing to keep in mind these have been exceptional growing conditions for most for quite a few years now.

[SASKFARMER3]

Gust your not even in the canola belt if the weather goes bAck to normal east sask and manitoba will be back with some of alberta. The rest will drop the crop.
Seed costs are nuts with canola.
Newbys don't get that. Time will tell. But I believe our weather runs in cycles and 8 years of mud should be the max cycle for this one.