Less canola, fewer soybeans in StatsCan's preliminary crop production estimates

The satellites say: more wheat and corn, less soy and canola are headed to farmers’ bins this fall. Statistics Canada released its preliminary crop production estimates on Monday, which are based on a model that includes satellite data, rather than farmer surveys. “To alleviate stress on farmers during the COVID-19 pandemic, Statistics Canada relied upon proven satellite technology to model preliminary crop yields and harvests for 2020,” says the agency. The satellite-based model has been used to produce September yield estimates since 2016, and last year it replaced the survey method to produce the July yield estimates for Manitoba, but this is the first time it’s been used to produce this report nationally. The growing season to date has been a challenging one, with severe weather hampering the Alberta crop, and extreme dryness affecting Ontario yields. The weather from August 1 and forward has done a 180 in some areas, as seen in the image. For the most part, the StatsCan ...