Frustration Limits Specialty Crop Interest

VANCOUVER - Apr 21/05 - SNS -- Canada will experience a general decrease in specialty crop seedings this year, if growers follow through with their seeding intentions.

However, in releasing its numbers, Statistics Canada cautioned there is room for significant changes in the final mix of crops planted and the actual areas committed to them.

The federal agency's survey of 12,000 farmers across the country between March 14 and 31 found they were "frustrated by low prices and higher input costs."

Statistics Canada said, "Many farm operators expressed their frustration with the poor market prices forecast for 2005 and this is playing a big part in their decisions to plant this year. Significantly higher fuel and fertilizer costs predicted for 2005 on top of the reduced income from the inadequate harvest of 2004 due to poor quality and unharvestable crops left some to wonder if they can afford to plant.

"An indication of this insecurity was an 8.1% increase in expected summerfallow acreage in the Prairies in 2005. However, this indecision may change in the next few weeks as farmers head into mid-spring when concrete decisions have to be made."

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