Canadian Pea Exports Remain Slow

VANCOUVER - Dec 2/08 - SNS -- Bulk field pea exports from Canada continued to slow in November, with the month's port clearances reported by the Canadian Ports Clearance Association falling to their second lowest level of the past eight years.

Clearances at terminals reporting to the association totalled 66,609 metric tons (MT) of field peas at Vancouver and none at Thunder Bay. Shipments of other specialty crops at Thunder Bay included 8,537 MT of lentils and 4,035 MT of soybeans. An unreported quantity of canaryseed was also moved through the port. This compares to field pea clearances of 185,555 MT at Vancouver and 10,881 MT at Thunder Bay during November of 2007; along with 7,052 MT of acanaryseed and 3,350 MT of mustard last year.

Exports for December are off to a better start, with four vessels nominated to lift 100,420 MT of field peas at Vancouver. No vessels are nominated to lift specialty crops at Thunder Bay or Churchill. Last year, seven vessels were loaded with 97,022 MT of field peas in December.