Slower Than Normal Harvest Pace Expected

VANCOUVER - Jul 28/11 - SNS -- Harvest activity will soon be underway in Saskatchewan for peas and lentils planted the earliest, but the overall pace of this year's harvest is expected to be slow because wet conditions delayed seeding in many locations in Saskatchewan and Manitoba.

North America's pulse harvest will be generally slower than last year because of seeding delays throughout Montana and North Dakota. Even so, initial harvest activity is being reported in Washington state and Montana.

In Washington state, 5% of this year's field pea crop is now in the bin, compared to 10% at this time last year and the recent average of 26% complete by the third week in July. Crop reporters in Montana reckon 1% of this year's lentil crop is now in the bin, while 91% of the lentils and 94% of the state's peas are in bloom. No harvest activity was reported in North Dakota, where just 2% of pea crop is rated mature, down from 23% last year and the recent average of 47% mature by this time of year.

Saskatchewan remains the most important field pea and lentil growing area in North America. For the third year in a row, the harvest will start slow and a smaller percentage of the crop will be in the bin before the end of August. Once again, markets are fearful a killing frost will strike the crop before it is fully mature.