Northwest canola acreage to nearly double in 2013

In Washington, Canola acreage is expected to grow by 67% this year to 25,000 acres. Oregon acreage is also expected to grow 78% and Idaho may add 45,000 additional acres. The jump seems to be correlated to demands for food-grade oil for healthy eating, however, farmers acknowledge the increasing demand for canola for biodiesel. Despite expansion in the Northwest, national canola acreage is expected to shrink 6% to 1.65 million acres this year.

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