WINNIPEG, MANITOBA, CANADA — According to the Canadian Grain Commission's year-to-date data, exports of Western Canadian grain are higher in comparison with data from the same time last year and the five-year average. The volume of grain shipped by producer cars is also higher than at the same time last year. 

"This year, producers in Western Canada saw record yields. So while our data shows that grain is moving to export at a faster pace, this year, it feels like it's taking a lot longer to empty the bins," said Elwin Hermanson, chief commissioner of the Canadian Grain Commission. 

As of Nov. 24, 5.1 million tonnes of wheat and 2.3 million tonnes of canola have been exported this crop year. The five-year average for exports of wheat by week 16 of the crop year is 3.9 million tonnes. For canola, the five -year average for exports of canola is 1.8 million tonnes. 

So far, 2013 exports compared to the five-year average have seen a 31% increase in wheat exports and a 28% increase in canola exports. 

As of Nov. 24, Western Canadian producers shipped 105,700 tonnes of wheat and 5,500 tonnes of canola to terminal elevators by producer car. In the 2012-13 crop year, producers shipped 64,600 tonnes of wheat and 5,300 tonnes of canola to terminal elevators by this same time.