General Hike in Sask Specialty Area

VANCOUVER - Apr 16/07 - SNS -- Crop reporters in Saskatchewan believe farmers in the province intend to plant more of all types of specialty crops except lentils this year, according to the first crop report of the season from Saskatchewan Agriculture and Food.

Estimates are not based on unofficial area surveys of seeding intentions by crop reporters. There can be huge varieties between such provincial estimates and Statistics Canada's April 24 seeding intentions estimates and what is actually planted in the province. But, they offer important insight into the current thinking of growers and likely trends.

Generally, the numbers are not a surprise to traders, who expect field pea area in Canada to set a new record this spring. Many also think there will be little change in total lentil area, but a continued swing out of large green or Laird-type lentils into red.

Saskatchewan Agriculture reckons farmers in the province will seed 34.1 million acres of land to crops this spring, taking just 200,000 acres out of summerfallow this year. Consequently, total seeded area is expected to be slightly below the recent 10-year average of 34.3 million acres, and just up 1% from last year.

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