Despite coffee shop talk suggesting otherwise, the number of Eastern Ontario winter wheat acres planted the last two years is the lowest in five years.
While many believe winter wheat acres are on the rise in this part of the province, the number of acres planted has actually dropped by more than half compared to 2011.
According to OMAFRA, there were 44,510 acres planted in 2011 in Eastern Ontario. That number yo-yoed every year, but the drops were more dramatic than the increases. It is estimated that just 20,000 acres of winter wheat were planted this past fall.
Soybean harvest plays a big role in the number of winter wheat acres planted. In fall 2014, a late soybean harvest cut into the wheat planting window and only 12,000 acres were planted in Eastern Ontario.
Year: Acres planted in Eastern Ont.
2011: 44,510
2012: 55,299
2013: 26,854
2014: 33,713
2015: 12,000 (estimated)
2016: 20,000 (estimated)
