Specialty Crop Stocks Mostly Lower

VANCOUVER - Sep 10/02 - STAT -- Specialty crops finished the 2001-02 marketing year with more product on hand than anticipated. Even so, special crop farm inventories were sharply lower because of poor growing conditions in 2001.

In releasing the latest stocks in all positions data for field peas, lentils, mustard, sunflower and canaryseed, Statistics Canada warned that for 2002, "the tight stock situation coupled with another disastrous crop will result in one of the most difficult years for the agriculture community in western Canada."

The only exception to the stock trend in the specialty crop sector was field peas. Not surprisingly, ending stocks finished above year earlier levels. However, the size of the increase was more than anticipated and reflects a larger than hoped for reduction in domestic livestock feeding.

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