The 1999 production of 3.0 million bushels was down by 29 percent from the previous year. Manitoba produced 26.8 percent of the Canadian rye crop in 1998, but only 19.7 percent in 1999. The average yield in 1999 was a record 37.5 bushels per acre, well above the10-year average of 33.4 bushels per acre. The previous record yield was 36.5 bushels per acre in 1982. Manitoba's contribution to Canadian rye receipts rose from 14.0 percent in 1993 to 29.7 percent in 1999.
Rye is used for baking and flavouring as well as for livestock feed.
Previous years' harvest surveys conducted by the Canadian Grain Commission show fairly high protein levels for the rye crop. Most Manitoba bakeries produce rye bread. Small quantities of rye malt are used to flavour the rye whiskey produced in Manitoba. The United States was the primary market for Manitoba product in 1999 with small amounts going to Japan, Ireland and South Korea and five other countries.