business and industry It's all in the numbers Farmers report bumper crops By MEGAN LACELLE
2013 marks a momentous year for Canadian farmers. Bumper crops meant yields far greater than average.
"I don't use the 'B' word often, but this is the best crop I've ever seen and I've been in the business for over 40 years," says James Wright, analyst for Agriculture Financial Services.
Total production of principal field crops was almost 27 million tonnes, up 26.1 per cent from 2012 and nearly 40 per cent higher than the 10 year average.
"It was an exceptional year. One of these are once or twice in a lifetime. I don't think we can expect this again anytime soon."
Spring wheat, durum, canola, and barley
all increased in production from previous years. Spring wheat production was a record 10.2 million tonnes, not impressed yet? That's 51.6 per cent greater than the 10 year average.
"Everybody got a good yield, that usually doesn't happen," Jake Kirschenman says. Kirschenman, now 26, has been farming since he was 18 outside Medicine Hat. "Yields were awesome, quality was pretty good and timing was great."
Technological advancements mixed with cooperation from Mother Nature concocted the seemingly perfect crop conditions for 2013. Wright says farmers had moisture at critical periods and temperatures that didn't get too high, allowing for crops to flourish.
Gail Halderman has been in the farming
business for 35 years. As president of Robertson Implements, Halderman is seeing more farmers take advantage of their success in recent years.
"With good yields and prices they're replacing equipment they couldn't afford to in the past. They're expanding their operation and that's great for this area."
Halderman also says farmers are diversifying their crops and embracing new farming technologies. Advances in equipment, fungicides and nutrients are increasing average yields year after year.
The numbers tell the story. Durum production increased 19 per cent from last year to 870,900 tonnes, canola production was up 26 per cent from the 10-year average at a record six million tonnes and dry peas set a second
consecutive record of 1.3 million tonnes, up 9.3 per cent from last year. Barley production hit 5.5 million tonnes due to record yields, up 26.9 per cent from last year, while oat production was 30.2 per cent above the 10-year average with 601,500 tonnes.
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The quantity of product created some intense work for railways.
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"There's only so much rails can do, they can't do it overnight," says Wright, "there's going to be some cash flow issues, too." With the quantity of product that the rails are trying to move some are not surprised that it is taking as long as it is.
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"Transportation just can't keep up," says Kirschenman. Railways are moving oil and the mass quantities of
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