In Canada, only winter crops are grown during the reporting period, during which rainfall was 12% above average, temperature exceeded seasonal values by 1.5°C, and RADPAR was very significantly below average (-9%). Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Alberta, and Ontario together account for 98% of Canadian wheat production, and abundant rain fell in Manitoba (+63%), Saskatchewan (+50%), and Ontario (+24%), while Alberta recorded 5% below average rainfall. As last summer Ontario suffered a serious drought, the current above average rainfall will help avoid future water stress by replenishing soil water, benefitting both winter crops after over-wintering and future summer crops. Contrary to Ontario (TEMP, -0.9°C), other main grain provinces observed above average temperature, including Alberta (+0.9°C), Manitoba (+2.6°C), and Saskatchewan (+1.7°C). The growth of winter crops will be favored by warm weather.

Compared to the five-year average, the cropped arable land fraction (CALF) appeared to have increased by 2.2 percentage points, which may result from the delay in the harvesting period. 

Overall, crop prospects are currently favorable in Canada.

(a) Crop condition development graph based on NDVI                (b) Maximum VCI

(c) spatial NDVI patterns compared to 5YA                                                    (d) NDVI profiles