Crops and Plants

Canadian farmers grow a diverse variety of crops across the country — crops used both here at home, and those exported to countries around the world. You’ll find everything from pulses, grains, and oilseeds, to fruits, vegetables, flowers, and specialty crops such as herbs, in Canada’s fields, orchards, vineyards and greenhouses.

Grains and oilseeds

Canola – a made-in-Canada crop

Canola is one of the most common and iconic Canadian crops, particularly across the Prairies, where it is widely grown. It was developed by Saskatchewan and Manitoba plant breeders in the 1970s, and given its name by combining the words Canada and ola, an acronym meaning oil. Canola is primarily grown as an oilseed, which is a crop that produces seeds with high oil content. It’s very popular for cooking because of its flavour, high burn temperature, and low amount of saturated fat. Canola meal (what’s left behind after oil is pressed out of the seeds) can be used for many things, such as feed for livestock, environmentally-friendly fuels, or converted into replacements for petroleum-based products. Canada exports more than 90 per cent of its canola to approximately 50 markets around the world, as whole seed, oil, or meal.