Reporting from Ontario, Canada.
Having just landed in Ontario, to learn about a country that exports a large amount of produce to our country, it has become clear that the domestic market is an extremely important one to the country and a huge amount of Ontario’s grain crops are used in the consumption of both human and animal feed.
Corn
16% of corn produced domestically goes into food for human consumption. 42% is used in the production of animal feed, while 34% of domestic corn is used for ethanol production and other industrial uses.
Oats
While oats are one of the smaller crops grown in the region, a massive 47% of Ontario’s oats are used for human consumption, while 26% of those oats are used in animal feed production.
Soybeans
Approximately 59% of Canadian soybeans are exported to international markets.
Of the product that stays at home, 6% is used in the production of soybean oil and is used in food manufacturing; 31% is used in the production of animal feed.
Wheat
Wheat can be divided into three types which have three different end uses. Soft red winter takes up 89% of Ontario’s wheat and is used in the production of products like biscuits and pizza dough.
Hard red winter wheat takes up 7% of the market and is used in bread production. Soft white winter wheat takes up 4% of the market and is used in flour for cakes.
57% of Ontario’s corn is used in the domestic market. The US is a big market for wheat, and grain moves relatively easily between the two countries.
One of the largest mills in north America is located a short distance from Ontario. The Mondelez mill is located in Toledo, Ohio.
