Smaller World Pulse Harvest Likely in 2006

VANCOUVER - Apr 28/06 - SNS -- World pulse production levels will likely decline across the 2006-07 marketing year in the face of emerging disinterest in growing dry edible beans in North America and an unwillingness by western Canadian growers to accept most of the risk of growing lentils at a time of rapid, subsidized expansion in the United States.

It would not be surprising to see total pulse area in the world slip around 1.3 million hectares this year to around 71.97 million for all classes of pulses in all countries. Average yields would result in a harvest of around 59.07 million metric tons (MT), down almost 2.7 million MT from last year, when several major producers reported record or near record yields.

At this rate of decline, world production would remain at the high end of recent norms, coming in as the third largest pulse crop in history. The implication for export markets is that competition for available demand should remain keen in the coming year, barring a crop disaster in a major producing area.

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