Canada Markets

The attached chart shows the first release from Statistics Canada's Crop Condition Assessment Program, which provides weekly monitoring of crop development over the growing season based on satellite imagery.

Resolution of both 1 kilometer and 250 meters are provided. This thematic chart of the Difference in Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) at 1-km resolution shows vegetative growth largely similar to normal in the southern and some south-eastern areas of Saskatchewan, while the rest of the Prairies indicate mostly lower-than-normal vegetative growth. The dark brown area in the Edmonton area indicates vegetative growth which is much lower than normal. Cool, dry weather across the Prairies this spring have slowed vegetative growth.

The charts prepared as a result of this study perhaps tells us what we already know from ground level, although it is interesting to see the lower to much-lower NDVI stretch into the northern states. While there was also an early start to spring seeding in the Northern Plains, cool, dry conditions have also lead to a slow start to vegetative growth, as indicated by the large area which shows much-lower-than-normal vegetative growth.

Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada maps showing the April 1 to May 25 Precipitation Compared to Historical Distribution for the Prairies shows a large area of the western Prairies receiving an extremely low distribution of moisture (between zero and 10% of historical moisture over this period) to record dry conditions as seen in the Hanna-Brooks area of Alberta.

While Alberta's crop report is due Friday, the Saskatchewan Agriculture report as of June 1 described most crops as Fair to Good across the province. The driest area of the province is the West-Central region, which is rated as having 21% adequate topsoil moisture, 65% short moisture and 14% very short moisture. While all crops in this region remain at a rating of fair or higher as of June 1 despite the dry conditions, the hardest hit crops are: mustard, with 22% of the crop poor to very poor; canola, with 18% poor to very poor; and winter wheat at 15% poor.

DTN 360 Poll

This week's poll asks what you think about recent reports suggesting that a new export grain terminal may be built on Canada's west coast, the first in decades. We'd love to know what you think about this and encourage you to weigh in on your DTN Home Page, found on the lower right.

Cliff Jamieson can be reached at cliff.jamieson@dtn.com

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