Peas Lift Special Crop Area Forecast

VANCOUVER - Mar 16/07 - SNS -- Agriculture Canada expects total specialty crop seeded area in Canada in 2007 to be larger than first thought because of surging interest in growing field peas.

At the same time, specialty crop growers are maintaining a willingness to increase chickpea, mustard seed, canary and sunflower seed acreage in 2007.

Discussing its predictions for the coming season, Agriculture Canada said, "It is assumed that precipitation will be normal for the growing and harvest periods, and that the abandonment rate and quality will be normal. Trend yields are assumed for both western and eastern Canada, as soil moisture reserves are good in most areas.

"Total production in Canada is forecast to increase slightly to 4.49 million metric tons (MT). Total supply is expected to decrease by 11% to 5.34 million MT, as lower carry-in stocks more than offset the increase in production.

"Exports, domestic use and carry-out stocks are forecast to decrease due to the lower supply. Carry-out stocks are expected to decrease to historically low levels for most crops.

"Average prices, over all types, grades and markets, are forecast to increase for dry peas, lentils, dry beans, mustard seed, canary seed, sunflower seed and buckwheat, but decrease for chickpeas.

"The main factors to watch are weather conditions, especially precipitation, during the growing and harvest periods in Canada. Other factors to watch are the exchange rates of the Canadian dollar against the US dollar and other currencies, ocean shipping rates and growing conditions in major producing regions, especially India, Pakistan, Mexico, United States, European Union, Turkey and Australia."

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