Pea, Lentil Export and Imports Rise

WASHINGTON - Oct 21/04 - SNS -- Both imports and exports of lentils, field peas and chickpeas increased during the past marketing year, according to the USDA's Economic Research Service latest Vegetables and Melons Outlook report by Gary Lucier and Alberto Jerardo.

The text of their comments on field peas and lentils continues:

Despite higher market prices this past crop year, dry pea and lentil export volume increased 3% in 2003-04 (July-June) to 4.6 million cwt (100 pound units), according to the Bureau of the Census. Strong foreign movement of U.S. split peas and yellow peas outweighed declines in every other class.

The leading destinations for dry peas and lentils among the more than 90 countries receiving U.S. shipments included Spain (11% of total volume), Canada (10%), and Ethiopia (8%). The value of U.S. dry pea and lentil exports totaled $85 million -- up 8% from a year earlier.

With shrinking stocks and higher prices, 2003-04 imports of dry peas and lentils surged 41% to 1.1 million cwt. Volume was fairly evenly split among split peas, lentils, chickpeas, green peas, and all others. Green pea imports jumped six-fold to 216,059 cwt -- the highest since 1994-95.

The 30 nations that shipped dry peas and lentils to the United States in 2003-04 were led by Canada (47% of total volume), India (17%), and New Zealand (16%). The value of dry pea and lentil imports reached $26 million -- 14% above a year earlier.

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