At a Glance

Canadian Oilseed Processing Industry
- There are 14 crush facilities owned by 6 companies; the 11 plants in the west crush canola and the 3 in the east crush canola and soybeans
- It is estimated that processing canola and soybeans in Canada is now responsible for $7.8 billion in economic activity every year, a threefold increase from a decade ago
- Over the last decade, approximately $2 billion have been invested in plant construction; crush capacity has more than doubled, reaching a new high of 10.8 million tonnes for canola and 3.2 million tonnes for soybeans in 2019
- Over the 10-year period 2010 to 2019, canola crushings increased 69% (from 5.7 to 9.6 million tonnes) and soybean crushings increased 39% (from 1.4 to 1.9 million tonnes)
- Over the same 10-year period, exports of canola oil increased 43% (from 2.2 million tonnes worth $2.2 billion to 3.2 million tonnes worth $3.5 billion) and canola meal exports increased 90% (from 2.5 million tonnes worth $0.6 billion to 4.7 million tonnes worth $1.7 billion)
2019:
- 52% of the canola crop and 32% of the soybean crop were processed domestically
- 4.2 million tonnes of canola oil and 0.4 million tonnes of soybean oil were produced; these oils are used for cooking oils, shortenings and salad oils
- 5.4 million tonnes of canola meal and 1.5 million tonnes of soybean meal were produced; these meals are used in animal feeds
- Canola oil – domestic use 1.0 million tonnes; exports 3.2 million tonnes valued at $3.5 billion; major importers USA 57%, China 27% and South Korea 5%
- Soy oil – domestic use 0.2 million tonnes; exports 0.2 million tonnes valued at $0.2 billion; major importers USA 99%
- Canola meal – domestic use 0.7 million tonnes; exports 4.7 million tonnes valued at $1.7 billion; major importers USA 71% and China 28%
- Soy meal – domestic use 2.2 million tonnes; exports 0.3 million tonnes valued at $0.2 billion; major importers USA 71%, Ireland 22% and United Kingdom 6%