Ontario blew past its 10-year average corn and soybean yields, according to the latest numbers from Agricorp.
The provincial crop insurance agency reported that, as of Jan. 18, 77 per cent of its customers had reported their corn yields averaging 181 bushels per acre. That’s well above the 10-year average of 170 bu/ac, though consistent with yields over the last three years of 186 bu/ac, 168 bu/ac and 178 bu/ac.
Vomitoxin, however, devalued plenty of the province’s corn, in some cases just leaving producers with more crop to destroy or try to find a market for.
It was a similarly strong showing for soybeans. Ontario averaged 53/bu ac, smashing the 10-year average of 45 bu/ac. It’s also well above yields for the last three years of 44 bu/ac, 46 bu/ac, and 45 bu/ac.
Eastern Ontario did very well on soybeans. Yields trended downward as you went farther west into Central Ontario. West of Ottawa had some of the strongest yields, with some areas averaging over 60 bu/ac beans. Frontenac County had a rough year, averaging under 20 bu/ac.
Last year, Ontario farmers planted 2.1 million acres of corn and 3 million acres of soybeans. Agricorp insured the majority of it; its average market penetration between 2011 and 2015 was 67 per cent in corn and 75 per cent in soybeans.
