Canadian farmers expect to plant more canola, soybeans and oats in 2017, but fewer acres of durum wheat and lentils, crops that were both at high levels in 2016.

According to a Stats Canada report put out Thursday, farmers nationally intend to seed 23.2 million acres of all varieties of wheat in 2017, relatively unchanged from the area seeded in 2016.

Alberta anticipates wheat acreage to be up 10% to 7.4 million acres, a possible record high, but less area is expected to be dedicated to durum, down 8.5% to 1.1 million acres.

Canadian farmers are expecting to seed more canola in 2017, up to a potential record-high 22.4 million acres, or up 9.9%.

Farmers in Alberta expect an increase in canola acreage, up to 6.8 million acres, a rise of 14.6% over 2016.

That could represent a record-high for Alberta.

Canadian farmers across almost all provinces report that they intend to seed less barley this year....down 8.0%, driving down acreage to 5.9 million acres nationally.