North Dakota’s canola industry continues to expand, with USDA estimating farmers planted a record 2.35 million acres this year. “We’re really seeing a geographic expansion of canola in the state,” said Barry Coleman, executive director, Northern Canola Growers Association. “The northwest part of the state has really grown tremendously in the last five years and now the southeast is growing more and more acres of canola.” Demand is expected to continue climbing as renewable diesel production expands. “We grow 2.9 million acres in the U.S., so it shows the tremendous demand that we have for canola oil just from the biofuel sector.” Coleman added that continued genetic improvements have increased yields and improved crop performance, although diseases such as verticillium remain an important management challenge for growers.
