Canadian producers might be cutting back, but US farmers are intending to slightly ramp up canola acres this spring.
Thursday’s USDA prospective plantings report estimated 2024 American canola planted area at 2.37 million acres. That is up a modest 1% from a year earlier but still represents a new record high for the nation – even as acres in the largest production state of North Dakota are projected to decline.
At an estimated 1.8 million acres, North Dakota canola area is forecast to decline 7% year-over-year, but still hold steady compared to 2022. Washington acres are projected to decline as well, down 3% to 160,000. In contrast, Minnesota acres are expected to climb 20% to 96,000, and Montana acres 15% to 190,000. Triple-digit percentage increases are expected in Kansas and Oklahoma, although both of those states are just minor producers overall.
Earlier this month, a Statistics Canada acreage report pegged Canadian canola planted area for this spring at 21.394 million acres, down 3% from the 22.081 million seeded a year earlier and roughly in line with the five-year average.
