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Purpose of survey | 2014 production
Alberta 2014 Greenfeed and Silage Production Survey Results
Purpose of Survey
Greenfeed and silage production statistics for Alberta are not available from Statistics Canada or any other source, despite the fact that producers in the province harvest significant acreages of annual crops for greenfeed and silage every year. To fill this data gap and to meet client needs, the Statistics and Data Development Branch of Alberta Agriculture and Forestry (AF) initiated a greenfeed and silage production survey in 2002. Since then, the survey has been conducted annually, to develop selected statistics for the forage industry.
As in previous years, the 2014 survey was conducted in partnership with Agricultural Fieldmen and Agriculture Financial Services Corporation. The survey collected data on greenfeed and silage acreage, yields and production at the municipal level. The information was then used, along with input from AF specialists, to develop provincial estimates. Just to note, the yield and production estimates in this report are on a wet weight basis.
Alberta 2014 Greenfeed and Silage Production
Crop growing conditions in the province during 2014 were mainly favorable, despite the hot and dry weather in July and August, and heavy snow and frost in early September. These conditions provided producers with an above average harvest, and crops of average quality. Provincial average yields were below the 2013 record year, but still above their 10-year averages for most major crops.
Total tame hay production in Alberta in 2014 was estimated at 7.26 million tonnes, based on the Statistics Canada report “Production of Principal Field Crops, November, 2014”. This was down 4.4 per cent from 2013, and 7.6 per cent below the 10-year average. The lower production was a result of smaller yields (1.7 tons per acre), despite an increase in harvested area (4.6 million acres).
In 2014, Alberta producers seeded an estimated 18.3 million acres of spring wheat, durum, barley, oats, mixed grains, triticale, canola and dry peas (see Table 1). Of this total seeded area, 94.9 per cent was harvested as grains and oilseeds and 5.1 per cent as greenfeed and silage. The percentage of crop area harvested for both grains and oilseeds, greenfeed and silage was higher than in 2013, as the area harvested for greenfeed and silage increased. Producers seeded more greenfeed and silage acres mainly because cattle prices increased and grain and oilseeds prices dropped compared to previous year.
Total area harvested for greenfeed and silage in 2014 was estimated at 938,000 acres, an increase of 18 per cent from 2013 (Figure 1). Total area harvested for greenfeed increased 35.1 per cent from 2013, to 447,000 acres, while silage acreage rose by 5.8 per cent to 491,000 acres.
Source: Alberta Agriculture and Forestry
The mainly favorable crop growing conditions in 2014 contributed to higher yields for silage. Yields for greenfeed were relatively smaller than the previous year due to dry conditions throughout the summer, especially in the Peace Region. The estimated provincial average yield for greenfeed was 2.66 tonnes per acre, 39.3 per cent lower than in 2013. The provincial average yield for greenfeed barley was 3.48 tonnes per acre (a 22.1 per cent decrease from 2013), and 2.87 tonnes per acre for greenfeed oats (35.2 per cent decrease from 2013). While the provincial estimated average yield for greenfeed declined between 2013 and 2014, the estimated provincial average yield for silage was up 5.5 per cent to 7.67 tonnes per acre. The increase in silage yield was due to increased yields for spring wheat, barley and mixed grain. The yield for spring wheat silage rose 11.8 per cent to 6.46 tonnes per acre, barley silage yield was up 7.7 per cent to 7.83 tonnes per acre and mixed grain silage was up 6.1 per cent to 7.37 tonnes per acre. Oats silage yield decreased 1.4 per cent to 7.48 tonnes per acre, and the yield for triticale silage dropped 7.0 per cent to 6.74 tonnes per acre.
Due to decreased yields, total greenfeed production dropped 18.1 per cent from 2013, to 1.2 million tonnes in 2014. The production for greenfeed barley was 482,000 tonnes, 20.0 per cent below 2013. Greenfeed oats production was estimated at 467,000 tonnes, down 32.8 per cent from 2013. For silage, total production was estimated at 3.4 million tonnes, up 1.4 per cent from 2013, due to higher yields and harvested area. The production of barley silage was 2.5 million tonnes, 6.2 six per cent lower than in 2013. Oats silage production was estimated at 519,000 tonnes, a 42.7 per cent increasee from 2013.
The major crops harvested for greenfeed and silage in 2014 were barley and oats, although many acres of mixed grains and some spring wheat and triticale were also included. Oats accounted for 40.1 per cent of the provincial total harvested greenfeed area, while barley represented 34.2 per cent. Spring wheat accounted for 17.5 per cent and mixed grain accounted for 6.2 per cent. The remaining 2.0 per cent of total harvested greenfeed area was from triticale. In terms of harvested silage area, 71.4 per cent of the provincial total was barley, 15.6 per cent came from oats, 8.4 per cent from mixed grains, 4.2 per cent from spring wheat and 0.4 per cent from triticale.
Estimates of greenfeed and silage production in Alberta for previous years, dating back to 2005, are also shown in Table 1.
For further information on the survey results, please contact:
Lukas Matejovsky, Crop Statistician
Alberta Agriculture and Forestry
Economics and Competitiveness Division
Statistics and Data Development Branch
Telephone: 780-422-2887
Fax: 780-427-5220
Email: lukas.matejovsky@gov.ab.ca
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