OTTAWA, ONTARIO, CANADA — Statistics Canada on Feb. 4 estimated Dec. 31, 2014, wheat stocks in Canada at 24,818,000 tonnes. The end-of-the-year inventory was 14% smaller than the 28,676,000 tonnes held in storage on Dec. 31, 2013. The decline in stocks was attributed to a year-over-year decrease in domestic wheat production. Trade estimates for total wheat Dec. 31 stocks were 25,000,000 tonnes.

Dec. 31 on-farm wheat stocks totaled 20.8 million tonnes, down 18% from the record high of 25.3 million tonnes in 2013. Commercial stocks were estimated at 4 million tonnes, up 20% from 2013.

Durum wheat stocks on Dec. 31, 2014, were 4,059,000 tonnes, down 23% from 5,239,000 tonnes a year earlier and slightly below trade expectations of 4,100,000 tonnes.

Statistics Canada also reported Dec. 31, 2014, stocks of canola, corn for grain, oats, barley and soybeans. As was the case with wheat, these crops featured mostly lower stocks in keeping with a downward trend in production from the previous year. On-farm and commercial stocks of soybeans, though, were pegged at record highs as of Dec. 31, 2014.

Dec. 31 canola stocks were 11,103,000 tonnes, down 11% from 12,406,000 tonnes at the end of 2013. On-farm stocks totaled 9.9 million tonnes at the end of December, down 14% from 2013. Commercial canola stock levels were pegged at 1.2 million tonnes, up 14% from 2013.

Statistics Canada said Dec. 31 corn stocks were 9,671,000 tonnes, down 17% from the record 11,590,000 tonnes a year earlier.

Oats stocks fell 13% from Dec. 31, 2013, to 2,485,000 tonnes with on-farm stocks down 13% at 2.3 million tonnes. Commercial stocks fell 5% from Dec. 31, 2013, to 177,300 tonnes.

Dec. 31 barley stocks totaled 5,382,000 tonnes, down 20% from 2013.

Soybean stocks were a record 3,477,000 tonnes, up 29% from a year earlier and compared with the previous record Dec. 31 inventory at 2,800,000 tonnes in 2011.