The latest StatsCan report released Friday says fall crop production in Saskatchewan fell for canola but rose for wheat, peas, oats and barley.

The farm survey says canola production dropped 7.3 percent in this province to 10 million tons while wheat and lentils jumped 5 percent.

Nationally, farmers reported producing more wheat, barley and oats this year, while canola, corn for grain and soybean production were all down from 2018.

The biggest surprise, if there was one, canola production decreased 8.3 percent nationally to 18.6 million tonnes, its lowest level since 2015.

Farmlink Marketing Solutions senior market analyst Neil Townsend says the implications of the shortfall will not be significant.

Stats Can says harvested area for canola fell 8.8 percent year over year to 20.6 million acres.

Yields rose 0.5 percent to 40.0 bushels per acre.

Saskatchewan’s drop in production was attributable to lower harvested area, down 7.1 percent to 11.4 million acres.

Yields were unchanged from 2018, at 39.3 bushels per acre.

Farmers in Alberta reported that canola yields rose 3.9 percent to 40.3 bushels per acre in 2019.

Despite the increase in yield, harvested area fell 12.9 percent to 5.8 million acres, bringing total production down 9.4 percent to 5.3 million tonnes.

Harvested area in Manitoba declined 5 percent to 3.2 million acres in 2019, while yields fell 3 percent to 42 bushels per acre.

As a result, canola production in the province was down 7.9 percent to 3.1 million tonnes in 2019.

Total wheat production nationally rose 0.5 percent to 32.3 million tonnes.

Wheat production in Saskatchewan rose 2.7 percent to 15.1 million tonnes, on a 5 percent increase in yields.

Alberta wheat farmers also reported higher yields but Manitoba farmers reported wheat yields this year were down close to 2 percent.

In Saskatchewan, the big production increases were 30 percent for field peas, 29 percent for barley, and 31 percent for oats.

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