Ontario's grain markets 2020

Introduction AGRICULTURE IS AN important economic driver for the province of Ontario. Over the three years from 2016 to 2018, Ontario produced, on average, 15 million metric tonnes of barley, corn, oats, soybeans, and wheat on 6 million acres of land. This generated $18 billion in economic output and more than 75,000 jobs in the province. The Ontario grain and oilseed industry is very complex due to the size of the province, the wide range of transportation options, the interprovincial transfers of grains for certain export markets, the increased use of on-farm storage, and the movement of western Canadian grain through Ontario ports. Although there is a wide range of information available through Statistics Canada and the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs (OMAFRA), some important market segments such as domestic grain usage and on-farm usage data is not available through these sources. As a result, interviews with industry experts across the value chain were used to gain insight into current grain utilization, shipping patterns, and trends in Ontario. These included grain handlers/traders, grain buyers/processors, and representatives from the seed industry and the feed industry. This report was completed to help industry, government, and farmers better understand Ontario grain markets. A three-year average calculation was used when determining market sizes and, where possible, comparisons to the 2016 Market Utilization Report will be noted. Utilization numbers are a reflection of grain production in Ontario but for some crops may also include grains imported from other regions. For the purposes of this report: domestic use = Ontario; total demand = domestic use plus exports. This comprehensive report was developed for Grain Farmers of Ontario by Synthesis Agri-Food Network. For more information on the market utilization of Ontario grains, contact Nicole Mackellar, manager of market development, nmackellar@gfo.ca or 1-800-265-0550. l GRAIN FARMERS OF ONTARIO 2019 ONTARIO’S GRAIN MARKETS 3 Table of Contents Barley . . . . . . . . . 4 Corn . . . . . . . . . 6 Oats . . . . . . . . . 8 Soybean . . . . . . . . . 10 Wheat . . . . . . . . . 12 All crops . . . . . . . . . 14