Soil is starting to show while many growers are still finalizing their seeding plans.

 

 

The rally in wheat markets over the last few months could lead growers to plant more wheat.

That's according to Bruce Burnett, Director of Weather and Market Analysis with the Canadian Wheat Board.

"We probably will see some more wheat acreage than we would have forecasted three months ago," he says. "Having said that though, all commodities seem to have been boosted in this recent rally, so it's hard to pick winners and losers, and certainly the canola price is still attractive as well."

Some analysts have said 2011 could be the year where canola acres surpass wheat in western Canada.

Burnett says fields in much of Saskatchewan and Manitoba are at high risk of flooding this spring.

"So we're going to need some opportune weather to help get this water melted and moved through the river systems before we can get planting," he says. "With just a moderate amount of rainfall in May and June we could lose two to five million acres fairly easily."

~ Thursday, February 17, 2011 ~