Quality of western Canadian flaxseed 2025

Summary

Samples of Canadian flaxseed received by the Harvest Sample Program in 2025 had an overall oil content that was higher than in 2024 and an overall protein content that was lower than in 2024. The overall iodine value for brown flaxseed was lower and the overall iodine value for yellow flaxseed was higher, compared to 2024.

Table 1 and Table 2 contain the 2025 quality data for brown flaxseed graded No. 1 Canada Western (CW). The mean oil content was 45.1%, which was higher than the 2024 mean (44.5%) and the 5-year mean (44.8%). The mean protein content was 23.1%, which was lower than the 2024 mean (24.7%) and the 5-year mean (24.6%). All oil and protein values are reported on a dry matter basis. The mean iodine value was 191.3 units, which was lower than the 2024 mean (192.0 units) but higher than the 5-year mean (188.7 units).

Table 3 and Table 4 contain the 2025 quality data for yellow flaxseed graded No. 1 CW. The mean oil content was 46.1%, which was higher than the 2024 mean (44.9%) and the 5-year mean (45.7%). The mean protein content was 24.3%, which was lower than the 2024 mean (25.6%) and the 5-year mean (25.0%). The mean iodine value was 195.4 units, which was higher than the 2024 mean (194.3 units) but below the 5-year mean (198.5 units).

Seeding and growing conditions

The 2025 growing season in Manitoba was characterized by uneven amounts of precipitation along with warm temperatures. Most seeding was finished by early June (95%), which was ahead of the five-year average (85%). Precipitation amounts varied across the province, with many regions receiving above normal rainfall. However, the Interlake and parts of the northwest region remained significantly drier. By mid-October, 97% of the harvest had been completed.

In Saskatchewan, the growing conditions varied across the province. Limited soil moisture at the time of seeding led to uneven crop emergence in many areas. By June 2, 97% of the crop had been seeded, compared with 94% at the same point in 2024. Significant rainfall in June and July, combined with cooler temperatures, helped even out crop development as the season progressed. Most of the flaxseed crop was harvested by mid-October.

Warm and dry conditions with adequate soil moisture supported seeding progress in Alberta. By early June, 99% of the crop was seeded, which was ahead of the 5-year average (96%) and the 10-year average (96%). The growing season began with hot, dry weather, followed by cooler temperatures and much needed precipitation that helped improve yield potential. By July 29, 64% of crops were rated in good to excellent condition, greater than the 5-year average (53%) and the 10-year average (57%). Harvest advanced quickly under conditions that remained warm and dry, with 96% of the crop harvested by early October.

Sources:

• Manitoba seasonal crop reports
• Saskatchewan crop reports
• Alberta crop reports

Production and grade distribution

Producers in western Canada seeded 619,200 hectares (ha) of flaxseed in 2025 (Table 5), which was higher than the area seeded in 2024 (203,400 ha). The yield in 2025 was estimated to be 1,824 kilograms per hectare (kg/ha). Flaxseed production in 2025 was 453,100 metric tonnes (MT), which was an increase from 2024 (257,500 MT). Flaxseed production in Manitoba was 28,300 MT (27,700 MT in 2024), production in Saskatchewan was 375,000 MT (196,000 MT in 2024) and production in Alberta was 49,800 MT (33,800 MT in 2024). Compared to previous years, the production of flaxseed trended upward for each province in 2025.

Flaxseed samples were graded by Canadian Grain Commission grain inspectors according to the Official Grain Grading Guide. In 2025, 95% of the submitted brown flaxseed samples from western Canada were graded No. 1, and the remaining 5% were graded No. 2 and No. 3. For yellow flaxseed samples, 85% were graded No. 1, and the remaining 15% were graded No. 2 and No. 3.

The harvest samples collected from each province may not be representative of the actual production or grade distribution. There were, however, enough samples to provide good quality information for each province.

Harvest samples

Flaxseed samples received by the Harvest Sample Program were cleaned to remove dockage prior to testing. Individual samples were analyzed for oil content, protein content and iodine value using a FOSS DS2500 scanning near-infrared spectrometer, calibrated to and verified against the appropriate reference methods. Composite samples were used for more precise and detailed analyses of free fatty acids and fatty acid composition. A brown flaxseed composite and a yellow flaxseed composite were prepared by combining the samples graded No. 1 from each province.

The 2025 flaxseed report is based on 120 brown flaxseed samples, compared to 78 in 2024. Eight samples of brown flaxseed graded No. 1 came from Manitoba, 91 samples came from Saskatchewan and 15 samples came from Alberta. The 2025 report is also based on 20 samples of yellow flaxseed, 17 of which were graded No. 1. One sample of yellow flaxseed graded No. 1 came from Manitoba and 16 samples came from Saskatchewan.

Quality data by province

Information on the quality of No. 1 brown flaxseed from western Canada is found in Table 6 and Table 7 and information on the quality of No. 1 yellow flaxseed from western Canada is found in Table 8 and Table 9.

Alpha-linolenic acid, an omega-3 fatty acid found in flaxseed, can play a role in maintaining good health in humans and animals. It is the main reason for the increased use of whole and ground flaxseed in cereals and baked goods. Flaxseed is also used as a source of oil and protein in animal feed, which can in turn benefit humans. For example, flaxseed incorporated into chicken feed can result in hens producing eggs that are high in omega-3 fatty acid.

Iodine value is a measure of the overall unsaturation of an oil and is calculated from the fatty acid composition. Oils with higher iodine values are more unsaturated and polymerize more rapidly in the presence of air. Iodine value is directly related to the amount of alpha-linolenic acid in flaxseed oil. Alpha-linolenic acid is one of the most important quality factors for flaxseed oil used for industrial purposes because it is responsible for most of the oil’s drying properties.

Oil content

In 2025, the mean oil content for brown flaxseed graded No. 1 was 45.1%, higher then the 2024 mean (44.5%) and the 5-year mean of 44.8% (Figure 2). The mean oil content for samples from Manitoba was 44.6%, lower than Saskatchewan (45.2%) and Alberta (45.3%). The oil content for No. 1 brown flaxseed from western Canada ranged from 41.6% to 47.8% (Table 6).

The mean oil content for yellow flaxseed was 46.1%, higher than the oil content for brown flaxseed. All but one of the yellow flaxseed samples originated from Saskatchewan. The oil content for No. 1 yellow flaxseed from western Canada ranged from 43.6% to 48.5% (Table 8).

Graph data

Oil content (%, dry basis)

Year	Brown Flaxseed	Yellow Flaxseed
2020	45.6	46.4
2021	44.3	45.7
2022	44.7	45.9
2023	44.8	45.6
2024	44.5	44.9
2025	45.1	46.1
2020 to 2024 mean	44.8	45.7

Protein content

In 2025, the mean protein content for brown flaxseed graded No. 1 was 23.1%, lower than the 2024 mean (24.7%) and the 5-year mean of 24.6% (Figure 3). The mean protein content for samples from Manitoba was 23.7%, slightly higher than for samples from Saskatchewan (23.0%) and Alberta (23.1%). The protein content for No. 1 brown flaxseed from western Canada ranged from 19.7% to 28.0% (Table 6).

The mean protein content for yellow flaxseed was 24.3%, higher than the protein content for brown flaxseed. The protein content for No. 1 yellow flaxseed from western Canada ranged from 22.4% to 27.2% (Table 8).

Graph data

Protein content (%, dry basis)

Year	Brown Flaxseed	Yellow Flaxseed
2020	23.0	23.8
2021	26.4	26.1
2022	24.4	24.9
2023	24.5	25.3
2024	24.7	25.6
2025	23.1	24.3
2020 to 2024 mean	24.6	25.1

Free fatty acid content

In 2025, the mean free fatty acid content for brown flaxseed graded No. 1 was 0.3%. This was higher than the mean in 2024 (0.2%) and the 5-year mean of 0.2% (Figure 4). The mean free fatty acid content for samples from Manitoba was 0.6%, higher than Alberta (0.1%) and Saskatchewan (0.3%) (Table 7).

The mean free fatty acid content for yellow flaxseed was identical to brown flaxseed (0.3%) (Table 9).

Graph data

Free fatty acid content (% in oil)

Year	Brown Flaxseed	Yellow Flaxseed
2020	0.2	0.2
2021	0.2	0.2
2022	0.3	0.2
2023	0.3	0.3
2024	0.2	0.2
2025	0.3	0.3
2020 to 2024 mean	0.2	0.2

Fatty acid composition

In 2025, the mean alpha-linolenic acid (C18:3) content for brown flaxseed graded No. 1 was 57.0%. This was similar to the 2024 mean (57.2 %) and higher than the 5-year mean of 55.5% (Figure 5). The mean alpha-linolenic acid (C18:3) content values for samples from Manitoba, Saskatchewan and Alberta were 58.7%, 56.6% and 58.4%, respectively.

In 2025, the mean iodine value for brown flaxseed graded No. 1 was 191.3 units. This was lower than in 2024 (192.0 units) and higher than the 5-year mean (188.7 units) (Figure 6).

For yellow flaxseed, the mean alpha-linolenic acid (C18:3) content was 59.1% and the mean iodine value was 195.4 units.

Graph data

Alpha-linolenic acid content (% in oil)

Year	Brown flaxseed	Yellow flaxseed
2020	55.8	61.4
2021	54.1	67.3
2022	54.6	58.7
2023	55.8	61.1
2024	57.2	58.7
2025	57.0	59.1
2020 to 2024 mean	55.5	60.3

Graph data

Iodine value (units)

Year	Brown flaxseed	Yellow flaxseed
2020	189.0	198.5
2021	186.3	208.5
2022	186.8	193.7
2023	189.3	197.8
2024	192.0	194.3
2025	191.3	195.4
2020 to 2024 mean	188.7	198.5