Quiet Week For Chickpeas

VANCOUVER - Apr 4/08 - SNS -- International chickpea markets were little changed in quiet trade during the past week, with end users relieved to see that the extension of India's ban on pulse exports through March 31 of 2009 does not include kabuli chickpeas.

Even so, exporters in that country remain cautious about selling this year's rabi season harvest, because the crop ended up being a little smaller than last year and because they are confident a smaller Mexican crop and prospective reductions in North American and Turkish crops will strengthen world markets during the last half of the calendar year.

The first indications of the North American crop were contained in last week's USDA seeding intentions estimates. It reports growers in the United States intend to reduce large caliber chickpea from 114,400 to 83,100 acres; while increasing small caliber chickpea plantings from 11,100 to 15,400 acres.

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