Large Prairie crops lead to increased December stocks

Glacier FarmMedia — Bumper crops in Western Canada led to larger stocks of wheat, canola, barley and oats in the country as of Dec. 31, 2025, according to the latest stocks of principal field crops data from Statistics Canada, released Feb. 6. However, reduced production for soybeans and corn, grown primarily in Eastern Canada, cut into supplies of those commodities.

Wheat

• Total Canadian wheat stocks as of Dec. 31 of 27.5 million tonnes were up by 5.9 per cent from the same point the previous year, and well above the five-year average of 23.6 million tonnes.

• On-farm stocks at 24.1 million tonnes were up 7.2 per cent on the year, while commercial stocks were down 2.7 per cent at 3.4 million tonnes.

• Of the total, durum stocks were up by 18.5 per cent on the year at 5.3 million tonnes.

Canola

• Canola stocks as of Dec. 31, 2025, were up 18.8 per cent on the year at 15.6 million tonnes. On-farm stocks were up 21.2 per cent at 14.3 million tonnes, while commercial stocks dipped by 7.4 per cent at 1.3 million tonnes.

• StatCan linked the larger canola supplies to increased production and a sharp drop 36.1 per cent drop in exports due to Chinese tariffs.

Barley

• Barley stocks were up 16.7 per cent on the year at 5.7 million tonnes. That compares with the five-year average of 4.8 million tonnes.

Pulses

• Lentil stocks of just under three million tonnes were roughly double what was on hand at the same point the previous year.

• Pea stocks were 77.5 per cent higher on the year, at 3.0 million tonnes.

Corn/soybeans

• Corn stocks were down 3.3 per cent from the same point a year ago, at 10.9 million tonnes.

• Soybeans stocks were 26.6 per cent lower on the year at 3.2 million tonnes.