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Specialty Crop News for January, 1998

• US Gives Southeast Asia $1 Billion Credit Guarantee
  WASHINGTON -- Jan 5/97 -- The USDA increased credit guarantees available to southeast Asian countries $545 million to make it eqasier for buyers in the Philippines, Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, and Singapore to buy U.S. grown agricultural merchandise.

• Canadian Field Pea Supply-Demand Estimates

• Canadian Canaryseed Supply-Demand Estimates

• Canadian Lentil Supply-Demand Estimates

• Canadian Mustard Seed Supply-Demand Estimates

• Canadian Feed Pea Clearances Falter at Thunder Bay
  WINNIPEG -- Jan 6/97 -- Feed pea clearances through Thunder Bay dropped to their lowest level since 1991 during the opening five months of the 1997-98 marketing campaign.

• Mexican Bean Imports To Expand Rapidly
  VANCOUVER -- Jan 6/97 -- Mexico's dry edible bean purchases will expand rapidly in the coming weeks, reflecting the impact of massive government purchases on import levels.

• Australian Lupin Supply-Demand Estimates

• Australian Field Pea Supply-Demand Estimates

• Australian Chick Pea Supply-Demand Estimates

• REVISED - Australian Chick Pea Supply-Demand Estimates

• USDA Shifts Bean Piurchases Into Green Peas
  KANSAS CITY -- Jan 8/97 -- The USDA's Commodity Credit Corporation Office here shifted pea bean demand into whole green peas, pushing total purchases of the latter commodity to 4,540 MT for shipment as food aid.

• Colored Bean Markets Demand Driven
  VANCOUVER -- Jan 9/97 -- STAT -- A slow reduction in rational voices as the world nears the change of a millennium for the 4.6 millionth time, give or take a few thousand, allows some market participants to see a connection between El Nino, dry edible bean markets this December and January and the fast approaching years 2000 and 2001.

• U.S. Food Aid Demand Down for all but Green Peas
  KANSAS CITY -- Jan 9/97 -- Government buying for shipment as food aid is down sharply this season in the United States, reflecting the impact of a shift in emphasis in foreign aid even though the number of countries and people facing food shortfalls is not decreasing.

• Colored Beans Lead Dry Bean Complex Higher
  VANCOUVER -- Jan 9/97 -- STAT -- Colored beans led international dry edible bean markets higher since the middle of December.

• Canadian Canaryseed Sees Good Export Volume
  VANCOUVER -- Jan 9/97 -- STAT -- North American birdseed ingredient markets opened the new year's trading on a mixed note. Pressure was evident in some ingredients, with popcorn prices easing since the middle of December.

• North American Lentils Experience Mixed Christmas
  VANCOUVER -- Jan 9/97 -- STAT -- North American lentils opened the new year's trading with a slight improvement over levels prevailing during the last half of December.

• Pea Markets Open Year in Mixed Demand
  VANCOUVER -- Jan 9/97 -- STAT -- International field pea markets opened new year's trading mixed.

• USDA Pulse and Minor Oilseed Production Summary 1995-97

• U.S. Dry Edible Bean Estimates by Variety

• U.S. Bean Production Estimates By State

• Dry Edible Bean Harvest Tops 1.323 million MT
  WASHINGTON -- Jan 13/97 -- Production of dry edible beans in the United States reached 1.323 million MT, according to the USDA's final crop production estimates for 1997 for a 4% gain over 1996 but 5% below two years ago. Area for harvest is estimated at 1.72 million acres, down 2% from 1996 and 9% below 1995.

• Minor Oilseed Production Escalates in United States
  WASHINGTON -- Jan 13/97 -- Production of minor oilseeds and sunflower seed advanced in the United States last summer mainly as a result of rising acreage, according to the final crop productiuon estimates for 1997 from the USDA.

• Surge in Colored Bean Seedings Seen in 1998
  VANCOUVER -- Jan 13/97 -- STAT -- Dramatic improvements in the health of international dry edible bean markets, especially for black and pinto beans, should result in surging seeded area in North America and Argentina.

• Mexican Dry Bean Import License Auction Detailed
  MEXICO CITY -- Jan 14/97 -- Poor output from Mexico's spring and summer crops have forced signficant increases in imports, with the government taking a direct hand in purchases through CONASUPO.

• N.A. Beans Look Into 90-day Competition Free Zone
  VANCOUVER -- Jan 16/97 -- STAT -- Dry edible beans continue to dominate thinking in most specialty crop markets as rising demand combines with production difficulties in important consuming and producing nations to push up physical and speculative trading volumes.

• Bean Markets Record Solid Performance
  VANCOUVER -- Jan 16/97 -- STAT -- North American dry edible bean markets posted another solid performance last week, as reflected in another weekly advance in the spot market price index from 785 to 796 points.

• Birdseed Ingredient Markets in Trading Range
  VANCOUVER -- Jan 16/97 -- STAT -- Birdseed ingredient markets remained in a trading range last week. Canadian canaryseed managed a slight improvement as grower selling slipped behind the immediate needs of processors.

• Canadian Lentil Markets Advance on Better Demand
  VANCOUVER -- Jan 16/97 -- STAT -- Limited grower participation combined with a slight improvement in commercial demand to pull Canadian lentils higher.

• Field Pea Matrkets Drop From Currency Inspired High
  VANCOUVER -- Jan 16/97 -- STAT -- Field pea markets ended the week off their highs amid generally negative expectations for short term demand.

• Slow Demand Allows Forage Seed Stocks to Build
  EDMONTON -- Jan 18/97 -- Markets for some forages eased in recent weeks as supplies move ahead of the needs of the market, according to the latest agricultural market review by Alberta Agriculture.

• Moroccan Importers Must Post Performance Bonds
  RABAT -- Jan 19/97 -- Regulations forcing Moroccan importers to declare grain imports and post performance bonds before the goods can clear customs could limit the capacity of traders here to bring in large quantities of pulses and other grains.

• France -- Field Pea Sales Summary

• France -- Field Pea Supply-Demand Projections

• USDA Tenders for Small Quantity Green Peas, Pinto Beans
  KANSAS CITY -- Jan 20/97 -- The USDA's Commodity Credit Corporation (CCC) here requested offers on 1,440 MT of green peas and pinto beans against PL-480 food aid tender invitation 028.

• USDA Seeks Offers on 90 MT Beans
  KANSAS CITY -- STAT -- The total quantity of dry edible beans covered by USDA PL-480 food aid tender this season now totals 6,010 MT, compared to 20,140 MT last year.

• Pea and Lentil Tenders Total 1,350 MT
  KANSAS CITY -- STAT -- The quantity of peas and lentils covered by USDA PL-480 food aid tender this season now totals 25,890 MT, compared to 38,830 MT last year.

• USDA Tenders for 1,440 MT Pulses
  KANSAS CITY -- STAT -- The latest USDA PL-480 tenders bring actual and potential purchases of pulses for shipment as food aid during the 1997-98 shipping season to 31,900 MT.

• U.S. Green Pea Supply-Demand Estimates

• U.S. Lentil Supply-Demand Estimates

• French Field Peas Seedings Look Steady in 1998
  PARIS -- Jan 23/97 -- STAT -- Strong disappearance of field peas from French farms this winter is not expected to result in a significant change in seeded area this spring, mainly because of continued strong interest in growing traditional grains andoilseeds.

• Pinto and Great Northern Beans Remain Active
  VANCOUVER -- Jan 23/98 -- STAT -- Trading interest in U.S. dry edible beans remains focussed on pinto and Great Northern beans. There were reports of further sales of the white bean to Iraq, which continues to buy product under the oil for food deal brokered with the United Nations. The ability of processors to originate beans to cover recent sales is being compromised in some locations by grower bullishness over recent price advances. They are reported to be relatively tight holders of pinto, Great

• Canaryseed Posts Solid Gain
  VANCOUVER -- Jan 23/98 -- STAT -- Canadian canaryseed markets posted a solid price advance on the week in both inter-dealer and grower markets. The week ended with trades reported at U.S. $11.75 cwt for machine dressed product packed in bulk FOB western Canadian shipping points. Most processors responded by rising asking prices to $12, well above the $10.75 cwt market which prevailed one month earlier. Strong Argentine canaryseed markets contributed to strength in Canada, by keeping that countrys me

• North American Lentils Strengthen
  VANCOUVER -- Jan 23/98 -- STAT -- North American lentil markets ended the week unchanged to stronger under improving trading conditions.

• Field Pea Markets Mostly Unchanged in Light Trade
  VANCOUVER -- Jan 23/98 -- STAT -- North American field pea markets were mostly unchanged in relatively light trading conditions.

• Turfgrass Markets Trend Lower
  EDMONTON -- Jan 24/98 -- Turfgrass markets are trending slightly softer as of late, according to the latest commodity market review by Alberta Agriculture.

• Canadian Field Pea Supply-Demand Estimates

• Canadian Canaryseed Supply-Demand Estimates

• Canadian Lentil Supply-Demand Estimates

• Canadian Mustard Seed Supply-Demand Estimates

• Hog Cholera Reported in Germany
  BONN -- Jan 28/98 -- A case of case of hog cholera was confirmed on earlier this month a large-scale hog breeding premise in northeastern Germany (in the federal state of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern).

• Dominican Republic Struggles to Cover Pulse Needs
  SANTO DOMINGO -- Jan 29/98 -- Recent droughts and other production problems continue to frsutrate efforts in the Dominican Republic to grow enough pulses to meet local needs, estimated at nearly 70,000 MT per year.

• USDA Holding Public Meetings on National Organic Program
  WASHINGTON -- Jan 30/98 -- Four public meetings in Iowa, New Jersey, Texas, and Washington state are being held to hear the views of organic food producers, processors, marketers, the scientific community, and consumers on the USDA's proposed rule for a National Organic Program.

• Asian Economic Crisis Impact on Food Industry Varied
  SEOUL -- Jan 30/97 -- International Monetary Fund mandated reforms are fairly well supported within Korea's food industry, though some importers complain liquidity requirements for banks and limits on the Government spending were too harsh and were constraining growth.

• Mexico Sells Bean Licens for U.S. $71.58 MT
  MEXICO CITY -- Jan 30/98 -- STAT -- Results of Mexicos auction of dry edible bean import licenses surprised exporters in the United States as buyers in that country paid over U.S. $71 MT for the right to import product this year.

• Bean Markets See Few Major Changes
  VANCOUVER -- Jan 30/98 -- STAT -- International dry edible bean markets ended the week with few major price changes, suggesting markets need fresh news.

• Birdseed Ingredient Markets Nominally Unchanged
  VANCOUVER -- Jan 30/98 -- STAT -- Birdseed ingredient markets were nominally unchanged on the week.

• Lentil Markets Firm In Slightly Better Demand
  VANCOUVER -- Jan 30/98 -- STAT -- International lentil markets strengthened amid a slight improvement in end user demand last week.

• Green Markets Advance in United States
  VANCOUVER -- Jan 30/98 -- STAT -- International field peas markets were mainly unchanged, despite significant adjustments in local Australian markets.

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