WINNIPEG – With more of us stuck at home these days, there’s been an increase in backyard bird-feeders and that’s driving up demand for sunflower seeds.

The Manitoba Crop Alliance says the need for sunflower bird-feed has jumped between 10 and 15 percent because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Grain suppliers say some farmers have replaced other crops with sunflowers this year to try and take advantage of the situation. Scoular Canada figures Manitoba’s Sunflower fields have grown by 150 square kilometres.