Canadian wheat production to drop 2 million tons

Canadian wheat production to drop 2 million tons    The Canadian Wheat Board (CWB) said Wednesday it expects western Canadian wheat production to fall two million tons in 2005-2006.
   CWB projected a western Canadian wheat and durum crop of 22 million tons for the 2005-2006 crop year, compared to 20 million tons in 2004-2005. The projection for the 2005-2006 barley crop is 11.7 million tons, down from the 12.3 million tons produced in 2004-2005.
   “Excessive moisture across the Prairies, especially in parts of Alberta and Manitoba, has already taken almost two million acres out of overall crop production because farmers have not been able to plant,” said Bruce Burnett, CWB’s director of weather and crop surveillance.
   Worldwide, the CWB is projecting wheat production levels to decrease over 20 million tons from 624.5 million tons in 2004-2005 to 603 million tons in 2005-06.