Canadian Pea Area Expanding

VANCOUVER - May 18/07 - SNS -- Assertions Statistics Canada's seeding intentions report was low for field peas were given weight during the past week.

Saskatchewan Agriculture's May 14 crop report said farmers in southern crop districts were switching land from cereal grains to field peas and other pulses. Even so, they estimated 64% of the intended field pea crop was in the ground in Saskatchewan as the week got underway.

Soil moisture conditions in the province are excellent and hot and dry conditions throughout the past week allowed growers to make considerable progress getting the last third of the planned crop in the ground. Conditions were forecast to become cooler and wetter across most of the province during the weekend.

Weather is already a significant factor in markets this year. This was underscored by news a private U.S. weather firm is predicting hotter than normal temperatures for much of the United States this summer, including the Great Lakes and Midwest.

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