Southeast Manitoba farmers planning to seed more corn, less wheat in spring

Fields of wheat are a staple in the landscape of Manitoba’s prairies, but this year many farmers plan to grow alternative crops.

"I will be upping my corn in my farm rotation to 25 per cent," said Andrew James. "I’ve completely axed wheat."

It’s the first time in six years of farming that James and his brother, Matt, won't be planting wheat on their farm. They didn’t plan corn during the last two years, and have never grown this much before.

One reason James is making the "scary jump" away from wheat is because of low profit margins on the crop.

In 2021, wheat was selling for about $7 a bushel. While it’s selling for about the same price in 2025, the costs for fertilizer and seeds have spiked. Many farmers across the country also had good yields.

"We were all incentivized, you know, as farmers to grow a lot of wheat and oats because the prices were good in '22 and '23," James said. "We did our job — grew a lot of wheat and oats — and now the prices come down because we supplied the market with it."

The roughly 1,200 hectares (3,000 acres) James farms in the rural municipality of Springfield will be almost evenly divided among corn, soybeans, sunflowers and oats in 2026. He’s offsetting the risk of growing more niche crops by keeping oats in the rotation.

Corn and sunflowers both require different equipment for harvesting, and need to be dried after harvest. James says his farm will need more storage as well.

"As a young farmer, it’s a bit of a challenge to get into corn," James said. "My brother and I … we want to farm another many years in the future, so we kind of see, like, we have to make that investment."

While choosing what to grow is different for each farm, James says it seems many others in the area are leaning toward growing corn. He’s had a difficult time finding corn varieties that will grow well because they’re selling out fast.

Marc Hutlet Seeds, a seed store near Steinbach, is seeing more corn, soybean and canola sales, says sales associate Karis Hutlet.

"Farmers tend to have a short memory sometimes," Hutlet said. "Things that performed well the year prior will often be popular the next year."

While the seed store only carries sunflowers, corn, canola and soybeans, sales of cereal grains in the area are generally lower, Hutlet said.

She adds there’s been talk of introducing more edible or specialty crops to Manitoban farms, and farmers are getting more adventurous with regenerative and cover crops.

"I think that’s a really great idea. It’s always good for the rotation, but it just comes down to, 'Can we do it? Is the season going to allow for it? Is it too wet? Is it too dry?'" Hutlet said.

Jill Verway, president of Keystone Agricultural Producers, says it also comes down to cost: Many farmers are looking for crops that will put more cash in their pockets at a time when input costs are rising.

Despite challenges including a wet fall this season, farmers are going into the next year with a positive outlook, Verway says.

"It’s having the sense of knowing what you control — what you can control — and making sure that you’re doing the best on that end," Verway said.

Andrew James says Manitoban farmers are lucky to have a wide range of crops to grow, including barley, edible beans, flax and grasses.

"We do have lots of options to find a profit for 2026 and beyond," James said. "Even though it could be a tougher year, I’m still very optimistic. I’m super pumped for … the future."