Quality of western Canadian canola 2021

This report presents quality data and information based on the Canadian Grain Commission’s 2021 Harvest Sample Program results of western Canadian canola. Canola samples were submitted throughout the harvest period by producers, grain companies and oilseed crushing companies. The following canola quality parameters were measured: oil, protein, chlorophyll, total glucosinolates, free fatty acids and fatty acid composition.

Figure 1 shows the distribution of the 2020 canola production in western Canada according to crop districts in Manitoba and Alberta, and census agricultural regions (CARs) in Saskatchewan. Prior to 2018, all production reporting in the prairie provinces was based on small area data (SAD) that corresponded to crop districts. In 2018, Statistics Canada began using CARs to describe production areas in Saskatchewan instead of SAD. The new CARs approach did not correspond well with the crop districts in Saskatchewan, affecting the comparison of historical quality data. Samples received from the Peace River area of British Columbia (crop district No. 8) were combined with Alberta (crop district No. 7) samples. Averages of these samples will be referred to as Alberta-Peace River.