Chinese Pulse Harvest May Rise

WASHINGTON - Jun 6/07 - SNS -- Pulse production levels in China will likely increase this year, allowing the country to expand export sales activity in 2007-08, reports the U.S. agricultural attache for the country.

Total output of dry edible beans, lentils and field peas could be up 6% from 5 million to 5.3 million metric tons (MT), slightly above the 5.229 million MT produced in 2005. There are no official figures for China's pulse production.

The U.S. agricultural attache estimates output based contacts with trade sources, China's Chamber of Commerce, the Ministry of Agriculture and reports from the National Statistical Bureau (NSB), which releases the data on China's overall grain production at the end of February and specific data on major crops including rice, wheat and corn in mid-May.

While seeded area is little changed, yields are expected to improve significantly. Last year's drought in western China and rain during pollination in northeast China resulted in estimated 4% drop in production from levels achieved in 2005.

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