The 17th annual Great Lakes Grain Crop Assessment Tour yielded positive results this year, with most of southern Ontario showing signs of a successful growing season for corn and soybeans.
Devin Homick, grain origination and business development team lead for Great Lakes Grain, shared the results at Canada’s Outdoor Farm Show.
Of the 400 corn and 300 soybean fields, Homick said overall results suggest an exceptionally high-yielding season for both crops.
WHY IT MATTERS
Seven hundred fields make the tour one of the broadest pre-harvest yield reads Ontario growers get, and after a difficult 2025 a strong provincial average shapes storage and marketing plans before the combines roll.
“We had a pretty good planting window. We are a little further ahead in heat units this year, so that’s helped with the maturity and progression of the crop,” he said.
The Ontario weighted average yield for corn was 200.4, while beans came in at 54.8.
Regional results
Regionally, numbers fluctuated slightly, with varied weather and soil conditions. Homick said this was particularly noticeable in areas such as Middlesex and Essex. He added, however, this difference was small and often varied from farm to farm.
“You’ll have one field that’s really poor, but then you go a concession block, and you might have a field that’s fairly exceptional,” he said.
Homick said the eastern part of the province experienced a “potential record crop” with the Prescott and Russell region standing out with Ontario weight average yields of 215.7 for corn and 55.8 for beans. He said these results are among the best ever recorded for the region.
The lowest results were found in the York Region with an Ontario weighted average of 180.1 for corn and 45.7 for beans.
“Certain areas had some stress at certain times of the year, but overall, the yield results show that it looks like a good crop across the province,” he said.
2026 TOUR AT A GLANCE
- Fields assessed: 400 corn, 300 soybean
- Ontario weighted average: corn 200.4, soybeans 54.8
- Prescott and Russell: corn 215.7, soybeans 55.8
- York Region: corn 180.1, soybeans 45.7
Homick said he spoke to several farmers at COFS who said they had had one of the best crops in recent years.
“They are excited for it, which is good to see after the trials and tribulations of last year,” he said.
El Nino on the horizon
Looking ahead, Homick remains unsure about the impact a forecasted El Nino may have on Ontario yields. So far experts are predicting a milder than normal autumn and a delayed winter. This is expected to be followed by a dry spring and a higher risk for wildfires.
For now, Homick remains focused on the results for 2026.
“I think we got just enough moisture throughout the season that kept crops growing and maturing and the bean crop looks exceptional, potentially the best crop we’ve ever seen,” he said.
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