Canola adds billions to Canada's economy
A study released in 2011 shows Canadian-grown canola contributes $15.4 billion to the Canadian economy each year, including more than 228,000 Canadian jobs and $8.2 billion in wages.
Demand for canola continues to grow as the world learns more about its advantages for human health and as a source of high-quality feed and biofuel feedstock.
That's why it's so important to maintain responsible public policies that nurture the growth of this industry.
Canada's most valuable crop
Canola generates one quarter of all farm cash receipts. Acreage continues to increase because of the profitability and resilience of the crop. Newer herbicide-tolerant varieties produce higher yields at a lower cost and with less potential risk to the environment.
50,000 farmer decision-makers grow canola, mostly in the western provinces of Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba. British Columbia, Ontario and Quebec also grow a substantial amount of the crop. New varieties are pushing the boundaries of where canola is grown.
Click here for a map of canola growing regions of Canada and the U.S.
An important value-added industry
Canada's canola processing industry transforms harvested seeds into oil and meal, which are then manufactured into a wide variety of products. Canada's 13 crushing and refining/packaging plants (mapped below) have the capacity to crush about 8 million tonnes of canola seed, which produced 3.1 million tonnes of oil and 3.9 million tonnes of meal in the 2011-12 harvest year. Further refining improves the colour, flavour and shelf life of canola oil.
For more details on the plants, view the interactive version of the above map here.
The main canola products are oil for human consumption and meal for livestock feed. Canola oil is further processed into a wide range of consumer and commercial food products. Another promising use for canola oil is biodiesel. Other emerging industrial uses include plastics, protein isolates, adhesives and sealants.
Exports fuel the canola industry
About 85% of canola is sold to markets around the world, bringing billions of dollars into Canada. The biggest buyer of canola oil and meal is the United States. For raw seed, the most important destinations are Japan and Mexico. Other important markets are China and India.
Good trading relationships are the aim of our Market Access Plan.
Learn more about:
Economic impact
Markets for canola
Industry contacts
Canola and its uses
Growing canola
