Soybean acres in Western Canada are seen quadrupling over the next four to five years, with four million acres or more likely to be seeded to the crop.
That's according to Dale Heide, president of Winkler, Man.-based soybean processor Delmar Commodities, in a presentation here Monday at the annual Wild Oats Grainworld conference.
Soybean production in Manitoba has grown steadily over the past decade, with acreage in 2013 forecast at one million to 1.2 million tonnes, said Heide.
In neighbouring Saskatchewan, soybeans are newer to the scene, with about 60,000 acres seeded in 2012 and expectations for 90,000 in 2013, he added.
While the Prairies remain a small player in the global soybean picture, Heide said improving varieties could bring total area in the region up to 4 million acres within the next few years.
"Soybeans make good money at the prices we have today," said Heide.
-- Phil Franz-Warkentin writes for Commodity News Service Canada, a Winnipeg company specializing in grain and commodity market reporting.
