Higher Than Expected Lentil Inventory

VANCOUVER - Feb 4/11 - SNS -- Available supplies of peas, lentils and other specialty crops grown in western Canada as of December 31, 2010 were higher than expected and above year earlier levels because of a massive increase in lentil inventories.

In its stocks in all positions report, Statistics Canada found there were 1.467 million metric tons (MT) of lentils on farmers and in commercial hands as of December 31, nearly double the 772,000 MT on hand the previous year and the more than double the 629,000 MT available on the same date in 2008.

Statistics Canada based its estimate of on-farm stocks on a survey of 10,600 Canadian farmers between January 4 and 11. Farmers were asked to report the amounts of grain, oilseeds and special crops in on-farm storage. Data on commercial stocks of special crops originate from a survey of handlers and agents of special crops, as well as from the Canadian Grain Commission (CGC) for field peas.

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