2024 A Challenging Season For Northwest Canola Growers

The 2024 season had its fair share of victories and struggles for canola growers.  Unfortunately, when it was all said and done, the struggles outnumbered the wins.  Karen Sowers, Executive Director of the Pacific Northwest Canola Association said the yields were disappointing.

“You know I got to put it at below average on the spring average on winter canola and again some pockets of," Sowers said.  "Above below on all those depending where you're at an interesting year for sure challenging year.”

And Sowers is not overly optimistic about next year, at least at this point.  She says the dry conditions have made it very difficult on growers looking to plant winter canola.  Sowers said while not ideal, wheat can be planted in these dry conditions, but the same can’t be said for canola.

"Canola really needs to be  planted into moisture like below the moisture and then if the moisture drops it's still OK and germinates and grows, but it's just like any crop. If the weather's cooler, there's a chance October rains could help.  Again, when it was seated in August, it means no rain before now.” 

Sowers says while Northwest growers are facing a variety of challenges right now, there is reason for optimism industry wide.  She says demand is so strong that the U.S. continues to import canola from Canada to meet current demands.  She says part of the Association’s mission is to encourage more growers to try canola and see how it benefits their farm and their portfolio.

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