Depending on soil zone and high yield assumption, some crops are more profitable than others

Saskatchewan Agriculture’s 2025 Crop Planning Guide is now available on-line. Printed versions will be available at the Crop Production Show next week in Saskatoon and also at regional offices. Some crops show a profit over and above total costs, but many cropping options do not.

The Crop Planning Guide uses two yield assumptions – a high yield at the 80th percentile of average yields in each soil zone and the much lower five-year average yield. Crop inputs are those assumed for a high yield crop.

A few crops are money losers even at high yields. While returns cover operating costs, total costs are not covered. The money losers include feed barley, malting barley, hard red spring wheat, all types of mustard and soybeans.

Oats at the high yield assumption show a profit in the black soil zone.

Durum at the high yield makes money in the dark brown, but not the brown soil zone.

Both flax and canola at the high yield assumption make a bit of money in the black soil zone and basically break even in the dark brown soil zone.

Kabuli chickpeas are profitable at the high yield assumption in the brown soil zone and are around break-even when average yield is assumed.

Large green lentils have good profitability in all soil zones at the high yield and are also profitable in the dark brown soil assuming an average yield.

Similarly, red lentils are profitable in all soil zones at high yields and are somewhat profitable with average yields in the black soil zone.

Green peas have good profitability at high yield levels in all soil zones and are even profitable at average yields in the black soil zone. They are marginally profitable at average yields in the dark brown soil zone.

By comparison, yellow peas with a much lower price assumption, show a slight profit only at high yields in the black soil zone.

Canary seed shows a small profit with high yield in the dark brown soil zone.

Some of the very small acreage crops such as oilseed sunflower, black beans, caraway, coriander and quinoa are showing sizable profit potential in the 2025 Crop Planning Guide.

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