TODD KOROL
The Canadian Wheat Board has released a grim preliminary crop forecast because of what it calls unprecedented wet weather across the Prairies.
Bruce Burnett, the board's director of weather and market analysis, says excess rain has washed away the hope of seeding for many farmers.
Mr. Burnett estimates three million to five million hectares could go unplanted this year in Western Canada.
The amount of wheat put into the ground will be the smallest since 1971 and the barley crop is also looking at its lowest seeding since 1965.
Burnett says the situation is particularly bad in Saskatchewan where many fields have been flooded from record rainfall.
He says that's bound to have a significant impact on crop production because Saskatchewan is such a big agricultural area - the province has 41 per cent of Canada's arable land.