Canada -- Specialty Crop Forecast for 2006

VANCOUVER - Dec 15/05 - SNS -- Few changes are expected in the relative mix and percentage of land dedicated to pulses and other specialty crops in Canada in 2006.

Total seedings of the eight major classes of specialty crops is expected to slip from 7.513 million to 7.49 million acres in 2006. Slightly better than average yields would see production for this category of crops drop from this year's record 5.343 million metric tons (MT) to 4.906 million next year.

The recent five year average yield includes droughts which forced yields to a recent low in 2002. While a drought can never be ruled out in western Canada, soil moisture reserves are decent across much of the growing area and they are unlikely to approach those lows. Consequently, 2002 was ignored when calculating recent average yields.

What will be sown in western Canada has yet to be decided by growers. Attitudes toward the various specialty crops will also be influenced by the relative performance of other markets. One crop which could increase most is wheat. Interest in expanding seedings is obvious. This year's winter wheat seedings in Canada are up 553,000 acres over last year at 1.876 million acres.

The removal of import duties of spring wheat shipment to the United States is helpful from a demand perspective. It should result in more Canadian wheat moving into the United States in 2006.

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