Overview of US Canola Production.

US canola production has increased dramatically from no production to over 1.7 million acres in 2012.  Despite this production increase, the demand for canola oil for human consumption and for the seed meal as livestock feed remains more than twice as high as production.  This has prompted many to argue that US canola acreage should be considerably higher to meet the high demand for its products.  However, it should be remembered that canola in the US is a new crop and that farmers do not always embrace new crops, even when it is shown that these are an improvement over existing crops and rotations.  Remember also that canola has the second largest new crop acreage, next to soybeans, in the US over the last century.  This presentation examines the history of canola production in the US and highlights some of the major goals and achievements of plant breeders and agronomists from University and industry programs to promote and further accelerate canola production, and theorizes possible changes to the US canola industry in the next 20 years.