Manitoba wheat, canola farmers have bumper crops

Manitoba grain farmers are reporting exceptional yields of spring wheat and canola this year, with many having a difficult time finding a place to store it all.

Some farmers shipped out some of their grain early because they had to make room for more, says Doug Chorney, president of Keystone Agricultural Producers.

Others say they're finding novel places to put their grain, like inside their sheds.

Chorney said one grain company has built two massive bunkers that hold 40,000 metric tonnes of grain.

"That is a pile of grain that is two football fields in length and really quite unusual," he said.

"Like, I'm sure you could see this pile from space, it's so big."

The bountiful harvest is not over yet. Chorney said Manitobans planted a record-breaking one million acres of soybeans this year, and that has yet to be harvested.

Chorney said he expects farm cash receipts this year to top the $4-billion to $4.5-billion mark they usually hit.

"With spring wheat yields, I've had producers tell me they've had as high as 80 bushels per acre," he said.

"In Manitoba, the average spring wheat crop would be in the 48 bushel per acre range, so it's almost like harvesting two crops in one. It really is extraordinary."