Quality of Canadian canola 2024

Seeding

In both Québec and Ontario, the 2024 winter was warmer than normal with below normal snow accumulation. April temperatures were higher than normal at the beginning of the month and lower than normal at the end of the month. Temperatures became warmer in May, but some late frost occurred at the end of May in Saguenay-Lac-Saint-Jean and Abitibi-Témiscamingue. Canola seeding started after May 6 and by May 21, approximately 50% of the crop was in the ground. By June 4, it was reported that canola seeding was completed early in Capitale-Nationale and Saguenay-Lac-Saint-Jean and completed late in Chaudière-Appalaches (Sainte Marie region). By June 18, canola seeding was considered completed in Quebec with the seeding finished in Abitibi-Témiscamingue on time and Bas-Saint-Laurent early. Both spring and winter canola are grown in Ontario. The spring canola is mainly grown in northern Ontario (e.g. Temiskaming district) whereas winter canola is found in the southern part of the province. Due to the good October seeding conditions and the mild winter, the Ontario winter canola had a good survival rate. Overall, with winter and spring canola being planted, Ontario saw an increase in canola seeded areas in 2024.

In the Prairie provinces, April was warmer than normal, while May and June were cooler than normal (Figure 3). Precipitation in May and June (Figure 4) hindered the seeding of canola. In Manitoba, seeding began after the first week of May, but progress was slower than last year, due to rain in May and June. By early June, only 71% of the Manitoba canola crop was seeded (Figure 7), with crops ranging from just seeded to the two-leaf stage. Seeding in Manitoba was considered completed after the third week of June. By the end of June, crop development was variable throughout Manitoba, with some canola fields starting to flower and others only at the rosette to bolting stages. Seeding in Saskatchewan and Alberta started after mid-April (Figure 7), about a week earlier than in Manitoba. Despite precipitation that slowed the seeding progress, in Alberta, seeding was considered completed by early June. In Saskatchewan, it took almost an additional week for producers to complete seeding. In both Saskatchewan and Alberta, canola seeding was completed well ahead of seeding in Manitoba (Figure 7).

Growing season

In Québec, June temperatures were higher than normal, although frost was recorded on June 11 in Abitibi-Témiscamingue. Precipitation was below normal in June. In July, certain areas received heavy precipitation that led to some damage, due to excess water. Other areas, such as Bas-Saint-Laurent, reported low-intensity rain events. Generally, the 2024 canola crop grew under hot and humid conditions in eastern Canada.

In western Canada, June precipitation (Figure 4) led to excellent moisture conditions (Figure 5). By the end of June, only the Peace-River area of British Columbia and northwestern Alberta showed severe drought conditions (Figure 5). July started with some areas in the Prairies reporting excessive moisture, due to the precipitation in June. The last major precipitation event was reported, however, around July 1. July temperatures were warmer than normal in the three Prairie provinces (Figure 3), which resulted in crops developing quickly. Most of the canola crop was flowering in July during hot and dry conditions. Temperatures in July and August reached over 30°C (Figure 6), which was a concern since Brassica napus canola is known to be sensitive to temperatures higher than 28°C. August temperatures were also higher than normal in most of the Prairies, except in southern Manitoba where they were 2°C to 3°C lower than normal (Figure 3). July precipitation was minimal (Figure 4) and precipitation in August was mainly the result of thundershowers. This resulted in an increase in the drought intensity during July and August (Figure 5).

Harvest conditions

Favorable growing conditions allowed Québec producers to start harvesting their canola by the end of August. Harvest activities began in the Bas-Saint-Laurent and Capitale-Nationale regions in September. Early September rain was reported in certain areas of Québec, however, raising concerns about the crop quality. By the end of September, the canola crop was completely harvested in the Capitale-Nationale region and the Chaudière-Appalaches and nearly completed in Saguenay-Lac-Saint-Jean. In contrast, only approximately 30% of the canola crop was harvested in the Bas-Saint-Laurent region at that time. By the end of October, the canola harvest across Québec was considered completed.

In central Manitoba, the swathing of canola started in mid-August, similar to 2023 (Figure 8). The Manitoba harvest progressed smoothly until mid-September when precipitation slowed the progress of harvest considerably (Figure 4). By mid-October, the Manitoba canola harvest was considered completed. The combining of canola began in some fields in southern Saskatchewan during the first week of August. As in Manitoba, the Saskatchewan harvest progressed smoothly until mid-September, when rain slowed its progress (Figure 8). In Alberta, the Peace-River area was the first to report some canola harvest progress by August 13. The following week, canola harvest progress was reported in the southern Alberta, while harvest progress stopped in the Peace-River area due to heavy precipitation. In early September, precipitation resulted in a slower harvest pace in Alberta Peace-River than in Manitoba and Saskatchewan. Later on, however, the Alberta harvest picked up pace, matching that from 2023 (Figure 8). In early October, southern and central Alberta reported that harvest was over 91% complete, while the Peace-River area trailed at 75% complete. By the end of October, the Alberta canola harvest was reported to be completed.

Precipitation at harvest negatively affects canola seeds, as moisture on mature seeds can lead to sprouting damage. Rainfall occurred at different times across the Prairie provinces during harvest, and the extent of sprouting damage in canola from 2024 may vary widely.

April 1 to 30, 2024

May 1 to 31, 2024

June 1 to 30, 2024

July 1 to 31, 2024

August 1 to 31, 2024

September 1 to 30, 2024

Source

Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada

April 2024

May 2024

June 2024

July 2024

August 2024

September 2024

Source

Agriculture and Agri-food Canada

Conditions as of May 31, 2024

Conditions as of June 30, 2024

Conditions as of July 31, 2024

Conditions as of August 31, 2024

Source

Agriculture and Agri-food Canada

April 1 to July 31, 2024

April 1 to August 31, 2024

Source

Agriculture and Agri-food Canada

Graph data

Seeding progress (%)

Date	Manitoba	Saskatchewan	Alberta-Peace River
May 2, 2023			0.6
May 8, 2023		9
May 9, 2023	0		9.5
May 15, 2023		38
May 16, 2023	8		38.8
May 22, 2023		68
May 23, 2023	40		78.5
May 29, 2023		89
May 30, 2023	80		96
June 5, 2023		96
June 6, 2023	97		99.9
May 6, 2024		6
May 7, 2024			5.5
May 13, 2024		17
May 14, 2024	6		14.9
May 21, 2024	20		40.2
May 27, 2024		71
May 28, 2024	41		66.6
June 3, 2024		93
June 4, 2024	71		96.3
June 10, 2024		99
June 18, 2024	96

Graph data

Harvest progress (%)

Date	Manitoba	Saskatchewan	Alberta-Peace River
August 21, 2023		0
August 22, 2023			1.1
August 28, 2023		10
August 29, 2023	5		3.5
September 4, 2023		23
September 5, 2023	14		10
September 11, 2023		42
September 12, 2023	35		19.1
September 18, 2023		65
September 19, 2023	55		38.7
September 25, 2023		80
September 26, 2023	78		61.5
October 2, 2023		90
October 3, 2023	86		75
October 10, 2023	87		87.2
October 16, 2023		90
October 17, 2023	94		96.9
August 12, 2024		1
August 19, 2024		2
August 20, 2024			0.2
August 26, 2024	3	8
August 27, 2024			1.2
September 2, 2024		16
September 3, 2024	13		4.9
September 9, 2024		28
September 10, 2024	30		20.9
September 16, 2024		47
September 17, 2024	49		30.8
September 23, 2024		56
September 24, 2024	55		48.5
September 30, 2024		82
October 1, 2024			71.1
October 2, 2024	78
October 7, 2024		94
October 8, 2024	94		83
October 14, 2024		98
October 15, 2024			91.6
October 16, 2024	98
October 21, 2024		100
October 22, 2024			97.9
October 23, 2024	99

Production

The number of hectares seeded with canola in Canada since 2000 is given in Figure 9. In 2024, it was estimated that canola producers seeded approximately 30,600 fewer hectares than in 2023 (8,907,500 ha versus 8,938,100 ha). This is approximately 2.2% more than the 5-year average of 8,718,250 ha and 405,900 ha less than the record set in 2017, when 9,313,400 ha of canola were seeded (Figure 9).

Statistics Canada estimated the average yield of canola in 2024 in western Canada to be 2,017 kilograms per hectare (kg/ha). This is slightly lower than the yield reported in 2023 (2,167 kg/ha) and the 5-year average yield (2,129 kg/ha). In 2024, the highest average yield was reported in New Brunswick at 3,040 kg/ha (2,555 kg/ha in 2023), followed by Ontario at 2,763 kg/ha (2,992 kg/ha in 2023), Québec at 2,342 kg/ha (2,292 kg/ha in 2023), Manitoba at 2,079 kg/ha (2,482 kg/ha in 2023), Saskatchewan at 2,012 kg/ha (2,073 kg/ha in 2023) and Alberta at 1,993 kg/ha (2,191 kg/ha in 2023). The lowest yield was observed in British-Colombia at 1,635 kg/ha (1,967 kg/ha in 2023). Lack of precipitation and the July heat blast were again responsible for these low yields in 2024.

As of February 2024, Statistics Canada estimated the production of Canadian canola to be 17,844,515 metric tonnes (MT). This is lower than last year’s revised production of 19,191,655 MT and lower than the 5-year average of 18,337,347 MT (Figure 10). In the last 10 years, the lowest canola production occurred in 2021 (14,248,281 MT) and was attributed to drought conditions. Since then, hot and dry growing conditions have prevailed. These conditions have led to lower yields, and therefore, lower production, even if the areas seeded with canola did not decrease significantly. In 2024, 54.9% of the canola in Canada was produced in Saskatchewan (53.8% in 2023). Québec produced 0.20% (0.18% in 2023), Ontario 0.34% (0.28% in 2023), Alberta 28.5% (29.0% in 2023), Manitoba 15.6% (16.3% in 2023) and British Columbia 0.40% (0.43% in 2023).

Graph data

Seeded area (hectares)

Year	Manitoba	Saskatchewan	Alberta	British Columbia	Canada
2000	951,000	2,387,600	1,537,800	36,400	4,937,000
2001	768,900	1,922,300	1,092,700	24,300	3,826,800
2002	890,300	1,746,200	1,193,800	16,200	3,876,800
2003	1,011,700	2,306,700	1,355,700	30,400	4,735,700
2004	1,116,900	2,428,100	1,608,600	28,300	5,218,200
2005	1,011,700	2,549,500	1,740,100	34,400	5,369,900
2006	1,003,600	2,418,900	1,821,100	26,000	5,283,300
2007	1,238,300	3,049,300	2,037,600	28,300	6,382,200
2008	1,254,500	3,116,100	2,104,400	24,300	6,541,100
2009	1,305,100	3,298,200	2,023,400	30,400	6,689,300
2010	1,345,600	3,439,800	2,246,000	40,500	7,116,800
2011	1,133,100	4,006,400	2,457,100	35,800	7,684,700
2012	1,469,000	4,694,400	2,711,400	48,600	8,974,400
2013	1,315,200	4,309,900	2,565,700	40,500	8,274,100
2014	1,284,900	4,350,400	2,751,900	42,500	8,457,900
2015	1,301,100	4,512,200	2,535,400	36,400	8,411,300
2016	1,294,800	4,552,700	2,495,200	38,400	8,410,900
2017	1,278,800	5,151,600	2,804,500	45,300	9,313,400
2018	1,382,400	4,997,900	2,755,900	55,400	9,232,200
2019	1,338,600	4,765,200	2,401,200	34,700	8,571,700
2020	1,381,600	4,588,800	2,377,900	37,300	8,410,400
2021	1,385,700	4,848,300	2,705,700	41,200	9,015,600
2022	1,327,700	4,610,900	2,639,000	40,700	8,658,600
2023	1,265,900	5,018,200	2,575,000	43,900	8,936,100
2024	1,350,100	4,890,900	2,584,000	43,300	8,907,500
5-year average (2019-2023)	1,339,900	4,766,280	2,539,760	39,560	8,718,480
10-year average (2014-2023)	1,324,150	4,739,620	2,604,170	41,580	8,741,810

Graph data

Production (tonnes)

Year	Manitoba	Saskatchewan	Alberta	British Columbia	Canada
2000	1,487,800	3,424,600	2,188,600	55,200	7,205,300
2001	1,134,000	2,154,600	1,655,600	34,000	5,017,100
2002	1,451,500	1,769,000	1,224,700	18,100	4,520,500
2003	1,769,000	2,676,200	2,222,600	38,600	6,771,200
2004	1,746,300	2,880,300	2,925,700	43,800	7,673,600
2005	1,261,000	4,456,500	3,651,400	63,500	9,483,300
2006	1,825,700	3,696,800	3,424,600	27,200	9,000,300
2007	1,950,400	4,154,900	3,401,900	47,600	9,611,100
2008	2,576,400	5,629,100	4,322,700	31,800	12,644,900
2009	2,891,700	6,259,600	3,628,700	49,900	12,898,100
2010	2,215,800	5,692,600	4,740,000	39,700	12,788,600
2011	1,746,300	7,348,200	5,347,900	56,000	14,608,100
2012	2,100,100	6,486,400	5,097,200	82,800	13,868,500
2013	3,025,500	9,178,400	6,168,900	88,700	18,551,000
2014	2,510,600	7,971,900	5,796,900	71,900	16,410,100
2015	2,857,600	9,536,800	5,851,300	70,800	18,376,500
2016	2,608,200	10,682,100	6,157,500	81,600	19,599,200
2017	3,147,900	11,181,100	6,826,600	90,600	21,458,100
2018	3,318,400	11,308,000	5,870,600	123,900	20,723,500
2019	3,056,300	11,394,000	5,320,100	72,000	19,912,300
2020	3,190,700	10,967,900	5,212,100	55,900	19,484,700
2021	2,514,092	6,758,816	4,341,000	66,537	12,594,605
2022	2,876,431	9,533,269	5,591,701	68,975	18,173,774
2023	3,053,162	9,712,846	5,394,059	82,269	18,328,233
2024	2,783,550	9,798,998	5,091,584	70,663	17,844,515
5-year average (2019-2023)	2,893,447	9,519,087	5,138,202	68,950	17,698,722
10-year average (2014-2023)	2,890,994	9,840,523	5,619,391	78,355	18,506,101

Table 2  Oil, protein, chlorophyll, total glucosinolate and free fatty acid content for 2024 canola harvest samples according to grade and province

Table 3  Main fatty acid composition, total SFA, MUFA and PUFA content and iodine value of oil in 2024 canola harvest samples according to grade and province

Oil content

In 2024, canola graded No. 1 had a mean oil content of 42.4% (Table 1), which was lower than the 2023 mean (43.2%), the 5-year mean (43.1%) and the 10-year mean (43.7%). The 5-year mean includes the record low oil content observed in 2021 and the second lowest oil content observed in 2022 (Figure 12). This led to a mean that was lower than that for the 2005-2020 period (44.3%). The 2024 mean oil content for No. 1 canola showed some recovery compared to 2021 and 2022, but it was still lower than what was observed during the 2005-2020 period (Figure 12).

Canola graded No. 1 from the Alberta-Peace River region had a mean oil content of 43.1% (43.8% in 2023 and 42.6% in 2022), higher than the 42.1% for canola No. 1 from Manitoba (42.8% in 2023 and 42.1% in 2022) and the 42.2% for Saskatchewan (43.1% in 2023 and 41.9% in 2022) (Table 2). Samples from eastern Canada had a higher mean oil content than samples from western Canada. Samples from Québec had a mean oil content of 44.6% (43.6% in 2023 and 44.0% in 2022), whereas samples from Ontario had a mean oil content of 43.6% (43.9% in 2023 and 44.9% in 2022).

The oil content of individual canola samples graded No. 1 ranged from 38.5% to 50.0% in Manitoba (37.4% to 49.1% in 2023), 32.5% to 49.1% in Saskatchewan (35.6% to 49.3% in 2023), 35.6% to 49.8% in the Alberta-Peace River region (35.9% to 52.3% in 2023), 43.6% to 46.1% in Québec (41.0% to 46.3% in 2023) and 41.5% to 46.5% in Ontario (38.5% to 47.2% in 2023) (Table 2).

In 2024, the mean oil content of No. 2 canola from western Canada (42.2%) was similar to that of No. 1 canola from western Canada (42.4%). Most samples graded No. 2 were from Alberta-Peace-River. These samples had a mean oil content of 42.4%, slightly lower than the samples from Saskatchewan (42.8%), but much higher than the samples from Manitoba (40.8%). The mean oil content for No. 2 canola samples from western Canada ranged from 37.6% to 48.1%, compared to 37.4% to 47.6% in 2023 (Table 2). In samples from western Canada graded No. 3 canola, the mean oil content was 42.0% (42.3% in 2023) and in those graded Sample it was 42.2% (44.0% in 2023).

Oil content is influenced by both genetic and environmental factors. For any canola variety, hot and dry growing conditions, rather than cool conditions, will result in canola seeds with a lower oil content. In 2024, canola had another very dry and hot growing season. The canola crop initially grew under moderately wet to very wet conditions, with moderate to excess water observed in the Prairie provinces during May and June (Figure 4). Only crops in the Peace-River area and northwestern Alberta experienced drought-like conditions at the end of June (Figure 5). July was very warm (Figure 3), with little to no precipitation (Figure 4) and a significant number of days over 30°C (Figure 6). This caused the canola crop to develop very quickly in the Prairies. This year, unlike last year, night temperatures were not low, so crops could not recover from the heat of the day. All these conditions led to the low mean oil content values that we observed this year compared to 2023. In eastern Canada, temperatures were warmer than normal (Figure 3), with plenty of moisture (Figure 4), but there were almost no days over 30°C (Figure 6). This led to a canola crop in eastern Canada with a higher mean oil content compared to that from western Canada.

Graph data

Oil content (%, 8.5% moisture)

Year	Oil content
2000	43.2
2001	42.8
2002	42.5
2003	41.8
2004	43.3
2005	44.4
2006	44.6
2007	43.4
2008	44.3
2009	44.5
2010	44.3
2011	45.2
2012	43.5
2013	44.8
2014	44.2
2015	44.2
2016	44.3
2017	45.0
2018	44.1
2019	44.6
2020	44.1
2021	41.3
2022	42.1
2023	43.2
2024	42.4
5-year average (2019-2023)	43.1
10-year average (2014-2023)	43.7

The mean oil content for CC No.1 canola exports was 41.8% for December 2024 and 41.8% for August to November 2024 (Table 4). The CC and the NCC export samples of No.1 canola had a lower mean oil content than the harvest samples due to dilution from dockage. Harvest samples are completely clean (0% dockage). The mean dockage for the CC exports was 1.8% for December 2024, 1.2% for August to November 2024, and 1.2% for the previous shipping season (August 2023 to July 2024) (Table 4). NCC exports had a mean dockage of 2.9% for August to December 2024 (Table 4). The export samples from the beginning of this year’s shipping season showed a decrease in oil content compared to the previous season, which corresponds to the decrease in oil content found in the 2024 harvest samples when compared to 2023.

Protein content

The mean protein content of canola seed at 8.5% moisture and the calculated mean protein content of oil-free meal at 12% moisture from 2000 to 2024 are given in Figure 13 and Figure 14. The mean seed protein content for all Canadian samples was 22.9% for No. 1 canola, 23.6% for No. 2 canola, 24.1% for No. 3 canola and 23.7% for canola graded Sample (Table 2). The mean seed protein content for No. 1 canola in 2024 (22.9%) was higher than the 2023 mean (21.8%), the 5-year mean (21.9%) and the 10-year mean (21.1%), but was much lower than the record high mean protein content observed in 2021 (24.0%) (Table 1 and Figure 13). The seed protein content of individual No. 1 canola samples ranged from 18.6% to 21.7% for Québec, 17.7% to 23.4% for Ontario, 15.5% to 27.2% for Manitoba, 17.5% to 30.2 % for Saskatchewan and 17.4% to 29.1% for Alberta-Peace River (Table 2). The mean seed protein content for western Canadian samples ranged from 17.6% to 28.4% for No. 2 canola, 20.5% to 28.1% for No. 3 canola and 19.1% to 27.4% for canola graded Sample (Table 2).

A strong inverse relationship between oil and protein content can be observed in canola seeds. In 2024, the mean oil content in seeds was 0.8% lower than in 2023 and the mean protein content in seeds concurrently increased by 1.1%, compared to 2023.

The mean seed protein content of CC exports of No. 1 canola was 23.3% for December 2024 and 22.8% for August to November 2024 (Table 4). Mean seed protein content for the previous shipping season was lower than that for this year’s shipping season (22.1% for the 2023-2024 shipping season versus 22.8% for August to November 2024 and 23.3% for December 2024), which is consistent with the 2024 canola protein content of harvest samples (Table 4).

Graph data

Protein content of seeds (%, 8.5% moisture)

Year	Protein content of seeds
2000	21.0
2001	22.3
2002	23.2
2003	23.3
2004	21.5
2005	20.5
2006	21.0
2007	21.7
2008	20.8
2009	19.9
2010	20.1
2011	19.6
2012	21.3
2013	19.8
2014	20.2
2015	20.7
2016	20.1
2017	20.1
2018	21.1
2019	20.4
2020	20.8
2021	24.0
2022	22.4
2023	21.8
2024	22.9
5-year average (2019-2023)	21.9
10-year average (2014-2023)	21.1

Graph data

Protein content of oil-free meal (%, 12% moisture)

Year	Protein content of meal on oil-free basis
2000	38.3
2001	40.2
2002	41.7
2003	41.2
2004	39.3
2005	38.3
2006	39.5
2007	39.6
2008	38.7
2009	37.2
2010	37.5
2011	37.3
2012	39.0
2013	37.2
2014	37.5
2015	38.6
2016	37.4
2017	38.0
2018	39.1
2019	38.3
2020	38.6
2021	42.0
2022	39.9
2023	39.5
2024	41.1
5-year average (2019-2023)	39.7
10-year average (2014-2023)	38.9

The calculated protein content of oil-free meal is the maximum protein content of a theoretical meal that would be obtained if a crushing plant was able to extract 100% of the oil from canola seeds. In 2024, the calculated mean protein content of oil-free meal at 12% moisture was 41.1%. This was higher than the 2023 mean (39.5%), the 5-year mean (39.7%) and the 10-year mean (38.9%), but lower than the record high mean of 42.0% from 2022 (Table 1 and Figure 14). The calculated protein content of oil-free meal at 12% moisture was highest for samples from Alberta-Peace River (42.3% in 2024 versus 39.9% in 2023), followed by Saskatchewan (41.0% in 2024 versus 39.7% in 2023), Ontario (39.7% in 2024 versus 39.5% in 2023), Manitoba (39.5% in 2024 versus 38.2% in 2023) and Québec (39.1% in 2024 versus 41.5% in 2023).

The calculated mean protein content of oil-free meal at 12% moisture for CC export samples of No. 1 canola was 40.7% for August to November 2024 and 41.3% for December 2024. These results are slightly higher than the value of 40.7% determined for the previous shipping season for CC export samples of No. 1 canola (Table 4).

Chlorophyll content

In 2024, the mean chlorophyll content for No. 1 canola was 8 mg/kg for all Canadian samples, 7 mg/kg for Québec samples, 3 mg/kg in Ontario samples, 7 mg/kg for Manitoba and Saskatchewan samples and 10 mg/kg for Alberta-Peace River samples (Table 2). The Canada-wide 2024 mean was lower than the 2023 mean (9 mg/kg) and the 5-year mean (10 mg/kg) (Table 1). It was the lowest mean chlorophyll content observed in the last 10 years (Figure 15). Individual samples of No. 1 canola showed variations in chlorophyll content due to variable growing conditions. The chlorophyll content of No. 1 canola samples ranged from 6 mg/kg to 10 mg/kg in Québec, 4 mg/kg to 18 mg/kg in Ontario, less than 3 mg/kg to 30 mg/kg in Manitoba, less than 3 mg/kg to 37 mg/kg in Saskatchewan and less than 3 mg/kg to 40 mg/kg in Alberta-Peace River (Table 2). Canola from Alberta crop districts 5 and 6 (the western part of the central and north-central districts) had the highest mean chlorophyll content at 13 mg/kg and 15 mg/kg, respectively.

The mean chlorophyll content of canola samples graded No. 2 was 19 mg/kg (Table 2), lower than that in 2023 (21 mg/kg). Canola samples graded No. 3 and Sample had a mean chlorophyll content of 27 mg/kg and 10 mg/kg, respectively. These values are similar to what was observed in 2023 (20 mg/kg for No. 3 canola and 10 mg/kg for Sample grade canola). In 2024, canola samples were downgraded for several factors other than immaturity, such as sprouting and/or brown seeds.

Historical chlorophyll content means vary greatly from year to year (Figure 15) due to variable growing conditions. High chlorophyll content can be related to one or more factors, including delays in seeding due to cold temperatures and rain, poor growing conditions due to lack of heat units, and an early frost. Compared to 2023, seeding moved at a slower pace in Saskatchewan and Alberta-Peace River due to precipitation in May. In Manitoba, seeding was delayed by about a week due to precipitation in May and June, compared to 2023 (Figure 7). However, the hot and dry growing conditions in July pushed the development of crops and the 2024 harvest completion time was similar to last year. As there was no early frost and temperatures remained above normal in September until the end of the growing season (Figure 3), the 2024 canola crop was allowed to mature fully without problems. This led to the low chlorophyll content and the low level of distinctly green (DGR) seeds observed this year.

Graph data

Chlorophyll content of seeds (mg/kg, as is moisture)

Year	Chlorophyll content
2000	14.4
2001	16.7
2002	13.4
2003	15.0
2004	16.5
2005	13.9
2006	13.7
2007	14.6
2008	11.0
2009	15.4
2010	12.8
2011	15.9
2012	17.4
2013	12.0
2014	13.3
2015	12.0
2016	11.3
2017	11.3
2018	10.3
2019	12.0
2020	10.1
2021	9.9
2022	9.0
2023	8.9
2024	7.9
5-year average (2019-2023)	10.0
10-year average (2014-2023)	10.8

Canola graded No. 1 must contain no more than 2.0% DGR seeds. In 2024, the mean DGR seed content in No. 1 canola samples was 0.6% for Québec (0.5% in 2023), 0.4% for Ontario (0.6% in 2023), 0.7% for Manitoba (0.7% in 2023), 0.4% for Saskatchewan (0.4% in 2023) and 0.6% for Alberta-Peace River (0.6% in 2023). This gave a mean DGR seed content of 0.5% for all Canadian samples in 2024.

The chlorophyll content of Canadian canola exports is affected by DGR seed and dockage content. The mean DGR seed content was 0.4% for both the December 2024 CC canola exports and the August to November 2024 CC canola exports, and 0.4% for the NCC canola exports for August to December 2024 (Table 4). The CC December 2024 export samples had a slightly higher mean chlorophyll content and a slightly lower DGR seed content compared to the 2024 harvest samples (Table 4).

Glucosinolate content

The mean total glucosinolate content of canola seeds at 8.5% moisture from 2000 to 2024 is given in Figure 16 and the calculated mean total glucosinolate content of oil-free canola meal at 8.5% moisture from 2000 to 2024 is given in Figure 17.

In 2024, canola No. 1 had a mean glucosinolate content of 13 micromoles per gram of seeds (μmol/g), higher than the 2023 mean (12 μmol/g), the 5-year mean (11 μmol/g) and the 10-year mean (11 μmol/g) (Table 1). This is the highest mean glucosinolate content since 2015 (Figure 16). Mean total glucosinolate content was 11 μmol/g of seeds for Québec, 10 μmol/g of seeds for Ontario, 11 μmol/g of seeds for Manitoba, 13 μmol/g of seeds for Saskatchewan and 14 μmol/g of seeds for Alberta-Peace River. Samples from CARs 8 and 12 in west-central Saskatchewan, crop districts 1 and 2 in southeastern Alberta and the Peace River area in British Columbia all had mean total glucosinolate content values greater than 15 μmol/g of seeds.

These canola growing areas were the most affected by a lack of moisture during the 2024 growing season (Figure 4 and Figure 5). Figure 6 shows that there was a significant number of days in July and August with temperatures over 30°C in Alberta and parts of Saskatchewan. The 2024 results match the results from previous years since 2021, when both Alberta crop district 1 and Saskatchewan CAR 12 experienced severe to extreme drought conditions during the entire growing season.

These observations and results agree with a research study from Australia that showed hot and dry conditions, post flowering, led to an increase in the total glucosinolate content in canola seeds. As in the years since 2021, heat and lack of moisture were responsible for some of the increase in total glucosinolates observed in 2024.

The December 2024 and the August to November 2024 CC canola exports both had a mean total glucosinolate content of 10 μmol/g of seeds, which is slightly higher than that for the previous shipping season (Table 4).

In 2024, 13 μmol/g of total glucosinolates in seed corresponded to 24 μmol/g of total glucosinolates in oil-free meal on an 8.5% moisture basis (Table 1). This is slightly higher than the 2023 mean of 23 μmol/g for oil-free meal and higher than the 5-year and 10-year means of 20 μmol/g (Figure 17 and Table 1). Total glucosinolate content in Canadian canola meal obtained from conventional crushing plants (expeller press followed by solvent extraction) is much lower than this calculated value. The calculated value assumes that 100% of the oil is recovered from the seed during crushing and that no glucosinolates are destroyed during processing, which is never the case.

Graph data

Total glucosinolate content of seeds (µmol/g, 8.5% moisture)

Year	Total glucosinolate content of seeds
2000	9.9
2001	10.9
2002	12.4
2003	11.2
2004	9.4
2005	9.5
2006	10.0
2007	9.8
2008	8.5
2009	9.6
2010	9.9
2011	10.3
2012	10.9
2013	10.1
2014	9.8
2015	10.9
2016	10.3
2017	10.5
2018	10.3
2019	9.4
2020	9.3
2021	11.1
2022	11.7
2023	12.0
2024	12.9
5-year average (2019-2023)	10.7
10-year average (2014-2023)	10.5

Graph data

Total glucosinolate content of oil-free meal (µmol/g, 8.5% moisture)

Year	Total glucosinolate content of oil-free meal
2000	18.8
2001	20.5
2002	23.1
2003	20.5
2004	17.8
2005	18.4
2006	19.5
2007	18.6
2008	16.6
2009	18.7
2010	19.2
2011	20.3
2012	20.8
2013	19.9
2014	19.0
2015	21.1
2016	19.9
2017	20.6
2018	19.8
2019	18.3
2020	17.9
2021	20.1
2022	21.6
2023	22.6
2024	24.0
5-year average (2019-2023)	20.1
10-year average (2014-2023)	20.1

Free fatty acid content

In 2024, the mean free fatty acid (FFA) content of canola samples graded No. 1 was 0.25% (as oleic acid). This is slightly higher than the 2023 mean of 0.21%, the 5-year mean of 0.20% and the 10-year mean of 0.19% (Table 1 and Figure 18). The mean FFA content for No. 1 canola samples (Table 2) from Manitoba (0.43% in 2024 versus 0.41% in 2023) was higher than that for Alberta-Peace River (0.28% in 2024 versus 0.20% in 2023), Saskatchewan (0.19% in 2024 versus 0.16% in 2023) and Ontario (0.41% in 2024 versus 0.49% in 2023). These values were lower than the mean FFA content observed in samples from Québec (0.75% in 2024 versus 0.52% in 2023). Composite samples graded No. 1 from Manitoba had a higher mean FFA content than the western Canadian mean, and ranged in value from 0.30% to 0.99%, which may pose a problem for local crushers.

In western Canada, canola samples graded No. 2 had a higher mean FFA content than those graded canola No. 1 (0.57% in 2024 versus 0.85% in 2023) (Table 2). Samples from Manitoba had the highest mean FFA content (1.21% in 2024 versus 1.61% in 2023), significantly higher than what was observed for the samples from Saskatchewan (0.40% in 2024 versus 0.92% in 2023) and Alberta (0.44% in 2024 versus 0.28% in 2023).

Plant stress and seed sprouting that resulted from hot and dry growing conditions, rain at harvest, or both, can often lead to an increase in FFA content. This year, brown seeds were observed in a large number of samples, which likely was due to plant stress caused by the heat blast and lack of precipitation in July. Sprouting was also noted in many samples from the Prairie provinces. This damage was due to rain during harvest, which was first observed in the Peace-River area of British-Columbia early September, and then later in September for the three Prairie provinces (Figure 4). Any change in the pace of harvest indicates a harvest slow down and/or pause, suggesting rain or heavy rain. The 2024 harvest progress survey showed changes in the pace of harvest (Figure 8) as a result of precipitation (Figure 4).

Graph data

Free fatty acid content (% in oil, as oleic acid)

Year	Free fatty acid content
2000	0.24
2001	0.35
2002	0.35
2003	0.23
2004	0.19
2005	0.11
2006	0.17
2007	0.18
2008	0.10
2009	0.15
2010	0.16
2011	0.12
2012	0.14
2013	0.13
2014	0.18
2015	0.18
2016	0.20
2017	0.15
2018	0.15
2019	0.15
2020	0.15
2021	0.24
2022	0.26
2023	0.21
2024	0.25
5-year average (2019-2023)	0.20
10-year average (2014-2023)	0.19

The mean FFA level of CC canola No. 1 was 0.28% for the December 2024 exports and 0.31% for the August to November 2024 exports (Table 4). FFA levels of individual CC canola No. 1 export samples ranged from 0.19% to 0.69% (0.14% to 0.74% for the previous shipping season).

It has been observed that FFA levels can increase during the shipping season. Storage conditions can activate hydrolytic enzymes in seeds which leads to an increase in FFA production. FFA content can vary considerably from each load throughout the entire shipping season.

Fatty acid composition

The mean erucic acid (C22:1) content of all Canadian samples of canola graded No. 1 was 0.01% in 2024, slightly above the limit of quantification. Over the last several years, the mean erucic acid content in canola samples graded No. 1 ranged from below the limit of quantification to just over the limit of quantification (Table 1, Table 3 and Figure 19). These low values are a direct result of plant breeding efforts by the Canadian canola industry.

In 2024, the mean α-linolenic acid (C18:3) content of all Canadian samples of canola graded No. 1 was 9.2%, similar to the 2023 mean (9.1%) and slightly higher than the 5-year mean of 9.0% (Table 1 and Figure 20). Samples from Ontario had the lowest mean α-linolenic acid content (8.3%) followed by samples from Manitoba (8.9%), Saskatchewan (9.0%) and Québec (9.6%). Alpha-linolenic acid content ranged from 8.1% to 10.1% for samples from eastern Canada and from 5.6% to 12.5% for samples from the Prairie provinces. Samples from Alberta-Peace River had the highest mean α-linolenic acid content at 9.8% (9.5% in 2023) (Table 3), with the samples from Alberta crop districts 5, 6, and 7 showing mean α-linolenic acid values equal to or higher than 10%.

In 2024, the mean oleic acid (C18:1) content of all Canadian samples graded No. 1 canola was 63.4%, lower than the 2023 mean (64.2%) and the 5-year mean of 63.8% (Table 1 and Figure 21). The lowest mean oleic acid was found in samples from Québec (62.4% in 2024 versus 63.2% in 2023) and the highest in samples from Ontario (65.0% in 2024 versus 63.8% in 2023) (Table 3). The oleic acid content of samples from the western provinces was similar to each other (63.5% for Manitoba, 63.5% for Saskatchewan and 63.2% for Alberta-Peace River) but lower than last year by almost one percent (64.3% for Manitoba, 64.2% for Saskatchewan and 63.7% for Alberta-Peace River in 2023). The oleic acid content ranged from 60.3% to 64.7% for samples for Québec, 63.5% to 66.5% for Ontario, 58.7% to 66.7% for Manitoba, 57.1% to 67.5% for Saskatchewan and 58.0% to 66.1% for Alberta-Peace River.

The mean total monounsaturated fatty acid (MUFA) content in 2024 was 63.9% for Québec (64.9% in 2023), 66.5% for Ontario (65.6% in 2023), 65.1% for Manitoba (65.9% in 2023), 65.1% for Saskatchewan (65.8% in 2023) and 64.9% for Alberta-Peace River (65.2% in 2023). The mean MUFA content for all Canadian samples was 65.0% in 2024, lower than the 2023 mean (65.7%) and the 5-year mean of 65.4% (Table 1 and Table 3).

In 2024, the mean linoleic acid (C18:2) content was higher than that from last year (18.4% in 2024 versus 17.9% in 2023) (Figure 22) but similar to the 5-year mean of 18.3% (Table 1). Over the last 10 years (2013 to 2023), linoleic acid content has shown a continual decrease (Figure 22). This decrease is likely related to genetics since environmental conditions are usually related to changes from one year to another. Genetic changes are observed over longer time periods, such as a decade.

In 2024, the mean total polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA) content was 28.5% for Québec (27.8% in 2023), 26.0% for Ontario (27.0% in 2023), 27.4% for Manitoba (26.8% in 2023), 27.5% for Saskatchewan (26.9% in 2023) and 28.1% for Alberta-Peace River (28.1% in 2023). This resulted in a mean of 27.6% for all Canadian samples (27.0% in 2023), higher than the 5-year mean of 27.3% (Table 1 and Table 3). In canola, PUFA content is directly related to α-linolenic acid (C18:3) and linoleic acid (C18:2) content. In 2024, there was a 0.1% increase in α-linolenic acid and a 0.5% decrease in linoleic acid, which accounted for the 0.6% increase in PUFA content compared to last year.

The mean saturated fatty acid (SFA) content for all canola No. 1 samples was 6.6% in 2024, identical to the 2023 mean and similar to the 5-year and 10-year means of 6.7% (Table 1, Table 3 and Figure 24). Since 2009, the mean SFA content has varied from 6.6% to 6.9% (Figure 24). In 2024, the mean SFA content for No. 1 canola was 6.8% for Québec, Ontario and Manitoba, while SFA was 6.7% for Saskatchewan and 6.4% for Alberta-Peace River (Table 3).

The fatty acid composition, especially oleic acid and linoleic acid, in the 2024 crop differed from that in 2023. There was a 0.8% decrease in oleic acid, a 0.5% increase in linoleic acid and a 0.1% increase in α-linolenic acid. As a result, the iodine value, which represents the degree of unsaturation in oil, was higher in 2024 (111.9 units) compared to 2023 (111.3 units) (Table 1 and Figure 23). The 0.6 unit increase was much lower than the one observed last year (1.8 units higher in 2023 compared to 2022), but the 2024 iodine value was higher than the 5-year mean (111.3 units) and identical to the 10-year mean (111.9 units) (Table 1). Although the 2024 iodine value showed some recovery from the 2022 record low of 109.5 units (Figure 23), it is still lower than the iodine values that were observed before 2020. For No. 1 canola, the mean iodine value was 112.7 units (112.1 units in 2023) for Québec, 109.4 units (110.7 units in 2023) for Ontario, 111.1 units (110.8 in 2023) for Manitoba, 111.5 units (111.0 units in 2023) for Saskatchewan and 113.0 units (113.7 units in 2023) for Alberta-Peace River (Table 3). This year, the iodine value of every canola sample graded No. 1 ranged from 103.6 units to 119.9 units, while in 2023 it ranged from 103.2 units to 121.3 units. Canola samples graded No. 2 had a higher iodine value, linoleic and alpha-linolenic acid content, and lower oleic acid content than No. 1 canola samples (Table 3).

Compared to last year, oleic acid content and oil content decreased (63.4% in 2024 versus 64.2% in 2023 and 42.4% in 2024 versus 43.2% in 2023, respectively) (Table 1, Figure 21 and Figure 12). Alpha-linolenic acid content was similar to last year (9.2% in 2024 versus 9.1% in 2023), while linoleic acid content and iodine value increased (18.4% in 2024 versus 17.9% in 2023 and 111.9 units in 2024 versus 111.3 units in 2023, respectively) (Table 1, Figure 20, Figure 22 and Figure 23). However, this year, the observed decrease in oil content was associated with an increase in total unsaturation of the oil, which appears to be inconsistent with the environmental growing conditions. Hot and dry growing conditions lead to low oil content and lower total unsaturation of the oil with higher oleic acid content and lower linoleic acid and α-linolenic acid contents. This suggests that, as in 2023, the increase in the total unsaturation of the oil was likely due to genetic factors and not the environmental growing conditions. In 2024, L340PC canola represented 25.2% of the insured commercial acres (20.6% in 2023 and 17.1% in 2022), L356PC canola, at 9.8%, was the second most represented variety (6.1% in 2023 and 2.8% in 2022) and L345PC canola, at 6.5%, was the third most represented (6.2% in 2023 and 9.7% in 2022). In 2024, these three varieties represented 41.5% of the insured commercial acres, versus 32.9% in 2023 and 29.6% in 2022. This change in variety representation was likely the genetic factor that affected the fatty acid composition, indicating that the growing conditions were not solely responsible.

The fatty acid composition of the 2024 harvest samples corresponded well with the fatty acid composition of the August to December 2024 export samples (Table 4).

Graph data

Erucic acid content (% in oil)

Year	Erucic acid content
2000	0.15
2001	0.11
2002	0.11
2003	0.13
2004	0.12
2005	0.06
2006	0.05
2007	0.04
2008	0.01
2009	0.01
2010	0.03
2011	0.01
2012	0.01
2013	0.01
2014	0.01
2015	0.01
2016	0.01
2017	0.01
2018	0.00
2019	0.00
2020	0.01
2021	0.01
2022	0.00
2023	0.02
2024	0.01
5-year average (2019-2023)	0.01
10-year average (2014-2023)	0.01

Graph data

Alpha-linolenic acid content (% in oil)

Year	Alpha-linolenic acid content
2000	9.9
2001	9.4
2002	10.6
2003	8.4
2004	11.2
2005	11.1
2006	9.9
2007	9.8
2008	9.1
2009	10.0
2010	10.0
2011	9.9
2012	9.6
2013	9.1
2014	9.2
2015	9.7
2016	9.6
2017	9.5
2018	8.7
2019	10.0
2020	8.9
2021	8.6
2022	8.2
2023	9.1
2024	9.2
5-year average (2019-2023)	9.0
10-year average (2014-2023)	9.2

Graph data

Oleic acid content (% in oil)

Year	Oleic acid content
2000	61.5
2001	61.9
2002	60.6
2003	63.2
2004	58.9
2005	59.8
2006	62.1
2007	61.5
2008	63.2
2009	62.3
2010	62.3
2011	62.0
2012	62.5
2013	63.4
2014	63.2
2015	62.6
2016	62.6
2017	62.9
2018	64.3
2019	62.4
2020	63.9
2021	64.2
2022	64.6
2023	64.1
2024	63.4
5-year average (2019-2023)	63.8
10-year average (2014-2023)	63.5

Graph data

Linoleic acid content (% in oil)

Year	Linoleic acid content
2000	19.1
2001	19.1
2002	19.1
2003	18.5
2004	20.3
2005	19.7
2006	18.9
2007	19.3
2008	18.5
2009	18.8
2010	18.9
2011	19.1
2012	19.2
2013	18.5
2014	18.7
2015	18.8
2016	18.9
2017	18.9
2018	18.3
2019	18.7
2020	18.3
2021	18.3
2022	18.1
2023	17.9
2024	18.4
5-year average (2019-2023)	18.3
10-year average (2014-2023)	18.5

Graph data

Iodine value of oil (units)

Year	Iodine value
2000	114.0
2001	112.4
2002	114.7
2003	110.1
2004	117.0
2005	116.1
2006	113.4
2007	113.3
2008	111.5
2009	113.7
2010	113.8
2011	113.6
2012	113.3
2013	111.8
2014	112.2
2015	113.1
2016	113.1
2017	113.1
2018	111.0
2019	113.7
2020	111.3
2021	110.9
2022	109.5
2023	111.3
2024	111.9
5-year average (2019-2023)	111.3
10-year average (2014-2023)	111.9

Graph data

Saturated fatty acid content (% in oil)

Year	Saturated fatty acid content
2000	7.1
2001	7.2
2002	7.0
2003	7.3
2004	7.0
2005	7.0
2006	7.0
2007	7.0
2008	7.1
2009	6.9
2010	6.9
2011	6.8
2012	6.6
2013	6.8
2014	6.7
2015	6.7
2016	6.7
2017	6.5
2018	6.7
2019	6.6
2020	6.8
2021	6.6
2022	6.9
2023	6.6
2024	6.6
5-year average (2019-2023)	6.7
10-year average (2014-2023)	6.7