markets like Spain to capture more of Ontario's corn in 2022. • Ireland primarily uses Ontario corn for animal feed, as they are a major livestock producer and are limited in corn production due to their climate and landscape. Soybeans - Exports of soybeans from Ontario have managed to remain relatively stable in value over the past five years, serving markets primarily in Asia and Europe. Japan has been the predominant source of value from soybean exports and had a 15.31 per cent import share in 2022, which equates to a volume of 222,493 tonnes and a value of $213,642,821 CAD. Other top countries include China, Italy, Belgium, and the United States. Since 2018, the Ontario soybean export market has become more saturated and diversified, with many players holding significant shares. • The volume of Ontario soybean exports was 1,453,491 tonnes in 2022, which corresponds to a value of $1,253,935,453 CAD. This was slightly lower than the fiveyear average of 1,702,373 tonnes. • Japan and Italy's import shares have 34 increased from 2018 to 2022, while China and Belgium's shares have decreased. • Japan uses primarily Ontario food-grade soybeans for products such as tofu, natto, miso and soy sauce. Most of Japan's cultivated land is used for rice and wheat, which increases demand for quality soybeans. Wheat - It can be challenging to isolate Ontario wheat export statistics, as Western Canadian wheat regularly flows through the province via the Port of Thunder Bay and the Great Lakes before export through the St. Lawrence Seaway. This leads to something of a Rotterdam effect, skewing Ontario's export statistics. The Canadian Grain Commission's (CGC) export statistics, which capture vessel loadings, provide the most reliable indication of trade volumes, with the exception of trade by rail and truck. For this article, we have included CGC vessel statistics only, and it should be noted that U.S. export volumes, in reality, are much higher as these values do not include trucked or railed wheat. • The volume of Ontario wheat exports was 342,200 tonnes in 2022. This is slightly lower than the five-year average of 420,220 tonnes. • The United States has had a consistently high import share in Ontario wheat over the past five years and had a 34.4 per cent import share in 2022, which corresponds to 117,700 tonnes. • Mexico remains a top destination for Ontario wheat and has become a prominent miller of wheat, importing 55,800 tonnes in 2022. Barley and Oats - Ontario grows both barley and oats, a majority of which is used domestically for animal feed and human consumption. The United States remains a key market for Ontario barley and oat exports. • Ontario produced 104,588 tonnes of barley in 2022, which accounted for 1 per cent of Canada's production. • Ontario produced 11,869 tonnes of oats in 2022, which accounted for 2.1 per cent of Canada's production. • Almost all oats exported from Ontario are destined for the United States. Connor McCulloch is the market development assistant at Grain Farmers of Ontario. l A BULK CARRIER, THE PORT OF THUNDER BAY, THUNDER BAY, ONTARIO. continued from page 32
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