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Specialty Crop News for July, 1998

• Mexican Bean Outlook Improves
  VANCOUVER -- International dry edible bean markets were generally softer on a holiday shortened trading week.

• Canaryseed Drops Under Recent Trading Range
  VANCOUVER -- Canadian canaryseed markets dropped under their recent trading range in response to improved yield prospects and surprisingly large seeded area estimates.

• Lentil Values Down on Bearish Acreage Report
  VANCOUVER -- Significant improvements in soil moisture conditions combined with a bearish seeded acreage estimate to push Canadian lentil values lower on the week.

• Field Pea Markets Pressured by Acreage Reports
  VANCOUVER -- North American field pea markets ended the week under pressure from estimates Canadian field pea seedings ended up at 2.67 million acres this spring.

• Fraench Field Pea Sales up 14%
  PARIS -- Jul 8/98 -- Commercial sales of French field peas are up 14.4% over last year, according to the latest numbers compiled by the Union Nationale Interprofessionnelle des Plantes Riches en Proteines.

• USDA Buys 9,490 MT Field Peas
  KANSAS CITY -- Jul 8/98 -- The USDA's Commodity Credit Corporation office here announced the purchase of 9,490 MT of green and yellow peas as part of the total pulses bought on the latest PL-480 food aid tender.

• Indian Monsoon Performance Mixed
  NEW DELHI -- Jul 9/98 -- India's monsoon season, despite getting off to an early start, is turning in a mixed performance as rainfall intensity eased the end of June.

• Bearish Mood Creeping Through Australian Trade
  DONALD - Jul 9/98 - Australian field and chick pea traders are starting to respond to increasingly bearish news, allowing current and new crop values to ease in light trading conditions.

• Radio Reports Help Australian Fight Diseases
  DONALD -- Jul 10/98 -- Agriculture Western Australia is providing a new radio information service for fababean growers to help control the fungal disease chocolate spot.

• Walnut and Almond Production Slips in California
  WASHINGTON -- Jul 10/98 -- Almond and walnut production will drop this year in response to poor weather conditions during flowering, according to the latest crop production estimates from the USDA.

• Forage Crops in Alberta on Brink of Disaster
  EDMONTON -- Jul 10/98 -- Hot, dry conditions in much of Alberta could push forage seed production down as much as 25% in the Peace River region of the province, avccording to the latest market review by Alberta Agriculture.

• Nicaraguan Bean Exports Should Rise This Season
  VANCOUVER -- Jul 10/98 -- Prospects for local dry edible bean production to reach 88,500 MT this year should allow Nicaraguan exporters to sell around 8,300 MT of product.

• Tight Stocks Drive Spot Bean Markets
  VANCOUVER -- Jul 11/98 -- North American colored bean markets continue to be driven by tight stocks amid efforts by long holders to ship current crop positions before new crop arrives.

• Birdseed Ingredient Markets Remain at Recent Lows
  VANCOUVER -- Jul 11/98 -- Canadian canaryseed markets remained at the recent lows established the previous week in response to a bearish seeded area estimate for that country.

• Lentils Mostly Unchanged in Light Trade
  VANCOUVER -- Jul 11/98 -- North American lentils markets were mostly unchanged under light trading conditions.

• USDA Buying Dominates Field Pea Markets
  VANCOUVER -- Jul 11/98 -- Most trading action for the week centered around U.S. field pea markets, with the government buying 3,080 MT of whole yellow and 6,410 MT of whole green peas shipment as food aid in August.

• China Increases Share of Italian Bean Market
  ROME -- Jul 13/98 -- China is becoming the dominant supplier of dry edible beans to Italy despite a general willingness to pay premium prices for the best quality merchandise in stores.

• Red Lentil Grades Established by CGC
  WINNIPEG -- Jul 13/98 -- A new grade schedule for red lentils will contain the same specifications as green lentils, with the exception that staining will be ignored unless it penetrates the seed itself.

• Church Groups Ship Peas and Lentils as Food Aid
  WINNIPEG -- Jul 15/98 -- Canadian field peas and lentils formed an important part of international food aid shipments arranged by that country's religious organizations.

• High Level of Disease Resistence in New Pinto Bean
  MOSCOW -- Jul 16/98 -- The latest pinto bean cultivar from the USDA's Agricukltural Research Service and Washington State University should extend the areas which can grow this variety in the future.

• Straw and chaff management critical to direct seeding
  EDMONTON -- Jul 16/98 -- Growers thinking of direct seeding crops next spring need to get their zero till system fully organized before this year's harvest, argues Alberta Agriculture.

• Lethbridge Research Centre expanding bean research
  EDMONTON -- Jul 16/98 -- Additional funding from Alberta Pool's Bean Business Unit will help the Lethbridge Research Centre pursue several projects that will benefit Alberta bean producers.

• New Specialty Crop Opportunities Bloom
  EDMONTON -- Jul 18/98 -- Alternative crops, including herbs, spices, flowers and decorative grasses, are making their presence known in the market place.

• Alberta Pea Yields Exceed 40 Bushels
  EDMONTON -- Jul 16/98 -- Shower activity across much of Alberta the past couple of weeks has pushed processors from worrying about a lack of moisture to fearing an excess will reduce yields and quality in some areas.

• Azuki Bean Futures End Week on Down Note
  TOKYO -- Jul 17/98 -- Azuki bean futures ended the week on a down note as regional agriculture officials announced growing conditions were good to slightly better than average as of July 15.

• French Pea Seedings Estimated at 1.6 million Acres
  VANCOUVER -- Jul 17/98 -- Preliminary seeded area estimates for France reveal growers in that country also increased seeded area beyond expected levels, with roughly 645,700 hectares or 1.6 million acres of field peas sown this spring.

• Shipping Tension Keeps Black Beans Volatile
  VANCOUVER -- Jul 17/98 -- International dry edible bean markets remained in a tense mood, despite slower demand.

• Canaryseed Remians in New, Low Trading Range
  VANCOUVER -- Jul 17/98 -- There was little fresh news in Canadian canaryseed markets, leaving values in a new, lower trading range.

• North American Lentils Unchanged to Easier
  VANCOUVER -- Jul 17/98 -- Limited trading interest left North American lentil markets mostly unchanged to slightly easier.

• Canadian Feed Peas Set New Historic Low
  VANCOUVER -- Jul 17/98 -- Limited commercial demand pushed Canadian field pea values lower on the week, with feed pea futures setting new historic lows.

• USDA PL-4780 Food Aid Activity Continues
  KANSAS CITY -- Jul 17/98 -- The USDA's Commodity Credit Corporation office here was active in PL-480 food aid markets during the week, confirming purchases from earlier invitations and requestiong additional offers of product for shipment in September.

• BNSF Increases Low Volume Rates for Sunflower
  FARGO -- Jul 20/98 -- The Burlington Northern Santa Fe railway increased premiums sunflower seed shippers need to pay if they are moving less than 52 car units.

• Sunflower Midge Problems Widespread in Manitoba
  CARMAN -- Jul 21/98 -- Manitoba Agriculture notes dunflower midge numbers are high in many sunflower fields in the Red River valley. While other sunflower insect pests, such as the sunflower beetle, can be managed with timely insecticide applications, insecticides do not work well against the sunflower midge. The midge is actually susceptible to a number of insecticides, however getting the chemical into contact with the insect is difficult. The adults are present on the plant for only one or two

• Canadian Pulses Could See Limited Harvest Action this Week
  REGINA -- Jul 21/98 -- Crops are maturing faster than usual across Saskatchewan, but soil moisture conditions are falling just as quickly creating concern among growers that one more rain is needed to ensure crops fill properly.

• USDA Tenders for 8,130 MT Pulses for September
  KANSAS CITY -- Jul 21/98 -- The USDA's Commodity Credit Corporation invited offers for 8,130 MT of pulses for shipment under PL-480 invitation number 088 as follows:

• Alberta Crops Move Forward in Dry Conditions
  EDMONTON -- Jul 21/98 -- Most of Alberta experienced hot, dry conditions the past week, allowed crops to advance rapidly, according to the latest crop progress report from Alberta Agriculture.

• USDA Seeks Offers on 2,300 MT Beans
  KANSAS CITY -- STAT -- The total quantity of dry edible beans covered by USDA PL-480 food aid tender for the August-September period now totals 6,120 MT, compared to 4,600 MT last year.

• Pea and Lentil Tenders Total 5,830 MT
  KANSAS CITY -- STAT -- The quantity of peas and lentils covered by USDA PL-480 food aid tender for the August-September period now totals 17,720 MT, compared to 8,510 MT last year.

• USDA Tenders for 8,130 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 August and September period of this summer to 23,840 MT.

• Pulse Disease Crosses to Australian Canola
  DONALD -- Jul 23/98 -- A diseases normally associated with fababeans and field peas is being reported in canola fields on South Australia's Yorke Peninsula.

• Canadian Export Assistance for Lebanon, Mexico
  OTTAWA -- Jul 23/98 -- Canada's Export Development Corporation recently authorized new credit facilities for exporters shipping to Lebanon and Mexico.

• Mexican Bean Output and Import Needs Rise
  VANCOUVER -- Jul 24/98 -- Delays seeding this year's dry edible bean crops in Mexico will make it hard for that country's growers to reverse a recent tendency toward lower seeded area. This has resulted in predictions planted area could drop 100,000 hectares to 1.8 million for the 1998-99 season.

• North American Beans Close Strong in Light Demand
  VANCOUVER -- Jul 24/98 -- North American dry edible bean markets ended the week in a generally firm tone, despite relatively quiet trading conditions.

• Canaryseed Sinks to Five Year Low
  VANCOUVER -- Jul 24/98 -- Canadian canaryseed sank to the U.S. $9 cwt mark on inter-dealer markets for the first time since the fall of 1993.

• Bulls Unsuccessful Generating Anthracnose Scare
  VANCOUVER -- Jul 24/98 -- Efforts to reestablish bullish market fundamentals in Canadas lentil industry foundered on isolated harvest activity and general optimism about yield prospects.

• Canadian Field Peas Lead Markets in Downward Spiral
  VANCOUVER -- Jul 24/98 -- Canadian field pea processors and exporters continued to lead world market on a downward spiral during the week.

• Database Makes Fiber Analysis Faster, Cleaner
  WASHINGTON -- Jul 28/98 -- Scientists with the Agricultural Research Service have filed a patent on a faster, cleaner way to determine fiber content in cereal or grain products--something companies must tell consumers under the Nutrition Labeling andEducation Act of 1990.

• Saskatchewan -- Harvest Progress Forecast

• New U.S. Status For Linola Will Impact Saskatchewan
  REGINA -- Jul 28/98 -- Flax, one of Saskatchewan's traditional crops, has recently acquired a sexier image. Long used for linseed oil, its straw is now a source of fibre for products as diverse as clothing and automobile bodies.

• Severe Damage to Manitoba Sunflower Crops
  CARMAN -- Jul 28/98 -- Up to 90% losses are being reported in sunflower fields in Manitoba's Somerset and Altona districts on account of head clipper weevils and midge.

• Canadian Pulse Harvest Starting in Saskatchewan
  REGINA -- Jul 28/98 -- Widespread harvest activity for spring seeded pulse crops is underway in Saskatchewan, judging from comments in the provincial agriculture departments latest crop progress report.

• Manitoba's Industrial Hemp Crop Promising
  CARMAN -- Jul 31/98 -- The industrial hemp crop in Manitoba is in fair to excellent condition, reports Manitoba Agriculture.

• Dutch Organic Food Market Poised for Growth
  THE HAGUE -- Jul 31/98 -- The Dutch market for organic foods is poised for growth as consumers are becoming increasingly aware of both the environmental and health aspects of organic foods.

• Vetch Attracts Grower Interest in Western Australia
  DONALD -- Jul 31/98 -- The winter growing annual legumes, vetches, have become the second largest pulse crop in the Esperance mallee region after field peas.

• Bean Markets End Shaken not Stirred
  VANCOUVER -- Jul 31/98 -- North American dry edible bean markets ended the week in strongly mixed sentiment.

• Canaryseed Softer, Sunflower Firmer
  VANCOUVER -- Jul 31/98 -- North American birdseed ingredient markets ended weekly trading in mostly mixed conditions.

• Disease Worries Pull Lentil Values Higher
  VANCOUVER -- Jul 31/98 -- Canadian lentil markets ended weekly trading on a strong note, amid concern this years battery of diseases are causing more damage than initially believed.

• Field Peas Maintain Bearish Mood
  VANCOUVER -- Jul 31/98 -- Canadian field pea markets maintained their bearish mood last week. Feed peas set new record low trading values during the week, while consumption peas dropping sharply in value.

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