Australian Competitive Capacity Hurt

WINNIPEG - Nov 10/06 - SNS -- This year's drought in Australia will provide additional market opportunities for Canadian exporters by eliminating that country as a potent competitor with Canada in international markets for dry peas, lentils and chickpeas, reports Agriculture Canada.

"However, the production of chickpeas in Australia is expected to increase sharply, which will provide additional competition for Canadian exporters." wrote Stan Skrypetz, Pulse and Special Crops Analyst, Market Analysis Division, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada in a special report on Australia's specialty crop industry.

"Australian chickpea seeded area rose sharply and the main growing areas for chickpeas received more precipitation than the areas for the other pulse crops."

The main Australian pulse crops are seeded mostly in June, which is in the Australian fall, grown during the winter and harvested mainly in November and December. However, dry beans and sunflower seed are produced during the summer. Australian pulse and special crops yields are highly variable, in line with the variable rainfall received in the growing areas.

For 2006-2007 winter grown pulse crops, rainfall during the key crop growing months of June to October has been very much below average or the lowest on record, with the exception of central Queensland and pockets of New South Wales.

The dryness has been exacerbated by temperatures that were well above average, combined with periods of strong winds and frost (in some southern growing areas) during September and October. Some fields of pulse crops will not be harvested because they are too short to harvest or have low yield prospects. These have been grazed, cut for hay or desiccated to control weeds.

The 2006-2007 harvest started earlier than normal because of the drought and above normal temperatures, with the first fields harvested in mid-October in Queensland and northern New South Wales.

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