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2011 Spring Fruit and Vegetable Survey

Canadian farmers anticipated planting 538,000 acres in fruits and vegetables in the spring of 2011, down 0.5% from spring 2010.

In the vegetable sector, growers indicated they intended to plant about 242,000 acres, of which they anticipated harvesting 241,000 acres. This harvested area would be down 3.4% from 2010. Nearly two-thirds (64.3%) of the 2011 crop is expected to go to fresh markets, and the rest for processing.

Quebec and Ontario represented 83.8% of the expected harvesting area of vegetables across the country.

The five major processing vegetables – sweet corn, green peas, carrots, beans and tomatoes – accounted for 55.1% of the total vegetable area anticipated to be harvested.

The 2011 area planted in vegetables destined for the processing market was reported at 86,273 acres, a decline of 11.5% or 10,702 acres. Most of this decline was due to decreased planting intentions for sweet corn (-11.6%), green peas (-12.7%), carrots (-16.3%), beans (-13.9%) and tomatoes (-4.4%).

Farmers indicated increased planting intentions for carrots for the fresh market, pumpkins, shallots, watermelon and other vegetables.

In the fruit sector, operators planned to cultivate 296,000 acres of fruit, of which 207,000 acres will bear fruit this year. This fruit-bearing area would be 4.6% higher than in 2010. Almost half (48.4%) of the anticipated increase this year was due to increased bearing area of low bush blueberries.

Farmers reported that about two-thirds of the fruit-bearing area was expected to go to the processing market, including almost all the acreage in low-bush blueberries, cranberries, vinifera grapes and sour cherries.

Apples, blueberries and grapes accounted for 78.4% of the expected planted area in 2011. Anticipated new plantings of blueberries, vinifera grapes, cranberries, sour cherries, sweet cherries and peaches have increased this spring.

However, apple growers reported a 6.2% decrease in expected total area, and a 2.3% decline in anticipated bearing acreage.

2010 Mushroom Growers' Survey

In 2010, Canadian mushroom growers reported 5.1 million square feet of growing area, 13.7% more than in 2009, while the harvested area increased 16.3%. Sales of Canadian grown mushrooms amounted to $264 million in 2010, up 9.3% from 2009.