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Quality of western Canadian canola 2018

Summary

The 2018 harvest showed a lower percentage of samples graded Canola, No. 1 Canada (74.8%) than the 2017 harvest (94.4%) and the 5-year average (91.5%) (Figure 4). Alberta-Peace River area showed the lowest percent of samples graded Canola, No. 1 Canada (52.1%) when compare to Manitoba (96.7%) and Saskatchewan (88.2%) (Figure 4). The crop district 7 of Alberta-Peace River (northwest section of the province) showed the lowest percent of samples graded Canola, No. 1 Canada (only 14.5%).

The 2018 western Canadian canola (Canola, No.1 Canada) crop was characterized by an oil content average lower than what was observed for the 2017 crop (44.1% in 2018 versus 45.0% in 2017) and a higher protein content average (21.1% in 2018 versus 20.1% in 2017) for samples graded Canola, No.1 Canada (Table 1). The chlorophyll content average for Canola, No.1 Canada samples were similar in 2018 and in 2017 (10 and 11 mg/kg, respectively) (Table 1) with some areas in Alberta-Peace River showing averages higher than 20 mg/kg (Table 3). Total seed glucosinolate averages were very similar to last year (10 µmol/g in 2018 and 2017).

The oleic acid content average of the 2018 canola crop is much higher than what was observed in 2017 (64.3% versus 62.9%) leading to a decrease of the linoleic acid and α-linolenic acid contents when compared to the 2017 crop (18.3 and 8.7% versus 18.9 & 9.5% for linoleic acid and α-linolenic acid in 2018 and 2017, respectively). Total saturated fatty acid content for the 2018 canola crop was slightly higher than what was observed in 2017 (6.7% versus 6.5%). This resulted in a very different iodine value for the 2018 canola crop when compared to the 2017 canola crop (111.1 units in 2018 versus 113.1 units for 2017).

Figure 1 – Maps of western Canada showing 2016 and 2017 canola production per Crop Districts and Agricultural Census Regions

2016 canola production

Map: Western Canada showing 2016 canola production per crop district. Details below
(Source: Statistics Canada)

  • Details
    2016 canola production per crop district
    Canola production
    (metric tonnes)    		 Manitoba crop districts Saskatchewan crop districts Alberta crop districts
    > 1,000,000 - 5B 7, 2
    701,000 to 1,000,000 - 2B, 5A, 6A, 9A 4B
    601,000 to 700,000 - 9B 4A
    501,000 to 600,000 - 1B, 6B, 8A 3, 5
    401,000 to 500,000 6 1A, 7B 3, 8
    301,000 to 400,000 2, 5, 7 3BN, 7A -
    201,000 to 300,000 1 2A, 3AN 1
    101,000 to 200,000 4, 6, 12 3AS -
    15,000 to 100,000 9, 10, 11 3BS, 4A, 4B -
    < 15,000 - - -

2017 canola production

Map: Western Canada showing 2017 canola production per crop district. Details below
(Source: Statistics Canada)

  • Details
    2017 canola production per crop district
    Canola production
    (metric tonnes)    		 Manitoba crop districts Saskatchewan crop districts Alberta crop districts
    > 1,000,000 - 11, 14, 15 7, 2
    701,000 to 1,000,000 - 5, 6, 9, 10, 13 4A, 5
    601,000 to 700,000 - 12, 16 3, 6
    501,000 to 600,000 8 1, 7
    401,000 to 500,000 3, 7 17 -
    301,000 to 400,000 1, 2 2, 8 -
    201,000 to 300,000 5, 6 3 1
    101,000 to 200,000 11, 9 5 - -
    15,000 to 100,000 - 4 8
    < 15,000 10, 12 - -
Table 1 – Canola, No. 1 Canada: Quality data for 2017 and 2018 harvests plus the 5-year means
Quality parameter 2018 2017 2013-17 Mean
Number of received samples 2505 2309 1967
Number of Canola, No. 1 Canada samples 1874 2180 1802
Oil contentFootnote 1 (%, 8.5% moisture) 44.1 45.0 44.5
Protein contentFootnote 1 (%, 8.5% moisture) 22.1 20.1 20.2
Oil-free protein of the mealFootnote 1 (%, 12% moisture) 39.1 38.0 37.8
Chlorophyll content (mg/kg in seed) 10 11 13
Total seed glucosinolates (mol/g, 8.5% moisture) 10 10 10
Oil-free total glucosinolates of the meal (mol/g, dry basis) 22 23 21
Free fatty acids (%) 0.15 0.15 0.15
Oleic acid (% in oil) 64.3 62.9 62.9
Linoleic acid (% in oil) 18.3 18.9 18.7
α-Linolenic acid (% in oil) 8.7 9.5 9.4
Erucic acid (% in oil) 0.00 0.01 0.01
Total saturated fatty acidsFootnote 2 (% in oil) 6.7 6.5 6.7
Iodine value 111.0 113.1 112.6
Total mono-unsaturated fatty acids (MUFA)Footnote 3 (% in oil) 65.8 64.6 64.6
Total poly-unsaturated fatty acids (PUFA)Footnote 4 (% in oil) 27.0 28.5 28.2

Mean free fatty acids average levels in 2018 Canola, No.1 Canada seed was similar to what was observed in 2017 (0.15%) (Table 1), however some crop district averages were higher than the western Canadian average due to the wet September harvest (Table 4).

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