As with canola, Canadian farmers do not appear poised to make any major change in wheat acreage in 2026.
A Statistics Canada acreage report on Thursday – the agency’s first for the 2026 planting season – pegged total expected wheat area for this year at 26.737 million acres, down 1.1% from the 27.031 million planted in 2025 although still well above the five-year average.
Most of the year-over-year decline in all wheat planted area is expected in durum, down 2.4% to 6.377 million acres. National spring wheat area is seen mostly stable, down just 0.1% to 18.781 million acres, while winter wheat area is 6.7% lower on the year at 1.578 million acres.
In its January supply-demand outlook, Agriculture Canada estimated 2026 all wheat area a bit higher at 27 million acres, with durum at slightly over 6 million.
Wheat remains an attractive option in parts of the Prairies due to stable export demand and its role as a lower-risk rotational crop compared with higher-input options. As seeding approaches in April and May, final acreage decisions will largely depend on relative crop prices, fertilizer costs, and early spring weather conditions across Western Canada.
Farmers in Saskatchewan anticipate planting 13.885 million acres of wheat in 2026, down 1% from the previous year. Producers expect spring wheat area to fall 0.6% to 8.718 million acres, while they anticipate durum wheat area to largely hold steady at 5.117 million.
In Alberta, farmers expect total wheat area to edge up 0.3% to 8.078 million acres because of higher spring wheat area (+3.6% to 6.757 million acres). Meanwhile, they expect durum wheat area (-11.8% to 1.171 million acres) to decrease.
Manitoba farmers anticipate planting 3.1.137 million acres of wheat in 2026, down 5.1% from one year earlier.
In Ontario, winter wheat area for 2026 is estimated at 1.12 million acres, down slightly from 1.183 million a year earlier. Spring wheat acres in the province are seen falling to just 43,000 from 62,800 in 2025.
The farmer survey for today’s report was taken between the second half of December and the first half of January.
