Canada's Pea and Lentil Harvests Wrapping Up

VANCOUVER - Sep 19/13 - SNS -- Pea and lentil crops in Saskatchewan have dodged the frost bullet, with growers across the province reporting record yields and a improvement in the percentage of product expected to land in the top two grades, according to the latest crop progress report from Saskatchewan Agriculture.

As of September 16, farmers have harvested 97% of this year's pea crop and 91% of their lentils, with just 3% of the lentils and 1% of the pea still maturing in fields across the province. This level of progress is comparable to that seen in both 2011 and 2012.

Progress for all other special crops is running well behind last year. The chickpea harvest is struggling the most. Just 17% of the crop in the bin, compared to 76% at this time last year. Farmers have harvested 66% of their mustard seed, compared to 85% last year; while the canaryseed harvest is 16% complete, versus 22% last year. Like flaxseed, farmers normally harvest canaryseed last because it weathers better than other crops.

Overall, Saskatchewan Agriculture says farmers have harvest 55% of all their crops, with another 30% swathed or ready to straight-cut. The five-year average for this time of year is 44% combined and 31% swathed or ready to straight-cut.

Harvest is most advanced in the southwestern region, where 69% of the crop is combined, compared to 55% in the southeast; 45% in the east-central region; 64% in the west-central region; 39% in the northeast and 48% in the northwestern region.