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Wheat

Wheat is a staple food for 35% of the world’s population and is Canada’s largest field crop grown. Canadian wheat is used domestically for food, feed, and fuel. Known for its high-quality and consistency, Canadian wheat is exported to more than 80 countries each year.

Canada remains one of the world’s top exporters of high-quality durum. Working with Prairie Grain Development Committee, Cereals Canada continues to participate in discussions and evaluations of durum breeding lines that have low cadmium content, high protein, and yellow pigment contents with high semolina milling extraction rates. This sets Canadian durum apart from other exporting countries in the world marketplace.

Canadian Wheat Classes

There are 10 wheat classes grown in Western Canada and seven wheat classes grown in Eastern Canada. Each wheat class has different qualities and characteristics.

Canadian wheat varieties are grouped into classes by their functional characteristics and categorized as western Canadian or eastern Canadian. The Canadian Grain Commission regulates grain handling in Canada and establishes and maintains science-based standards of quality for Canadian grain.

The four main classes of wheat grown in Canada are Canada Western Red Spring (CWRS), Canada Western Amber Durum (CWAD), Canada Prairie Spring Red (CPSR), and Canada Eastern Soft Red Winter (CESRW).

CWRS

Canada Western Red Spring

Canada’s most widely grown wheat class, CWRS is a hard wheat with high protein content with well-balanced gluten strength and superior milling and baking quality. CWRS is ideal for high-volume pan bread as well as for hearth bread and flat bread, noodles and Asian product applications.

CWAD

Canada Western Amber Durum

CWAD is recognized for its high protein content, good gluten quality, high yellow pigment content, and high semolina yield. The high quality and large production of CWAD makes Canada the leading exporter of durum wheat in the world. Products made from semolina milled from CWAD—like high-quality pasta, couscous, and bread—are characterized by a bright yellow appearance that’s desired by consumers.

CPSR

Canada Prairie Spring Red

Offering very good quality as a medium protein content wheat, CPSR has medium kernel hardness and excellent flour yields. CPSR is ideal for pan bread, hearth bread, flat bread, crackers, instant noodles, and white salted noodles.  

CESRW

Canada Eastern Soft Red Winter

Grown largely in Ontario with additional production in Quebec and the Atlantic provinces, CESRW offers very good quality and low protein content ideally suited for cakes, pastry, cereal, crackers, biscuits, and fillings

Other official wheat classes grown in Canada are:

Western wheat class include:

Canada Western Hard White Spring

Canada Western Red Winter 

Canada Western Soft White Spring

Canada Western Extra Strong

Canada Prairie Spring White

Canada Northern Hard Red

Canada Western Special Purpose

Eastern wheat classes include:

Canada Eastern Red Spring

Canada Eastern Hard Red Winter

Canada Eastern Amber Durum

Canada Eastern White Winter

Canada Eastern Other Wheat

Canada Eastern Feed

Canadian Wheat Production and Exports

Economic Impact of Canadian Wheat (Non-Durum and Durum)

Wheat production (non-durum) is the foundation of the wheat value chain in Canada and, along with flour milling and processing, accounts for the largest shares of the economic impact and employment in Canada. As much as 90% of the durum wheat grown in Canada is delivered to primary elevators, with the remaining being delivered directly to processors.

Source: The Economic Impact of Common Wheat on the Canadian Economy: 2022, LMC International

As a farmer, to grow the best crops with the highest quality, I look for varieties with good yield potential with strong disease and pest resistance. These are two main factors in choosing seed varieties that work for my farm and it’s environment.”

TODD HAMES
Grain, oilseed and pulse farmer
Marwayne, Alberta