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Specialty Crop News for June, 1998

• Canadian Pea and Lentil Seeding Complete
  REGINA -- Jun 2/98 -- Seeding of Canadian field pea and lentil crops is believed to be complete in Saskatchewan, while growers in Alberta and Manitoba are dotting the i's and crossing the t's on this spring's planting effort.

• USDA Buys 1,090 MT Peas and Lentils
  KANSAS CITY -- Jun 2/98 -- the USDA's Commodity Credit Corporation office here confirmed the purchase of 1,090 MT of whole green peas and lentils for shipment to Haiti between June 21 and July 5.

• USDA Buys 9,110 MT Pulses for Food Aid
  KANSAS CITY -- Jun 4/98 -- The USDA's Copmmodity Credit Corporation Ooffice here confirmed the purchase of 9,110 MT of pulses against PL-480 food aid tender invitation 068.

• Western Canada Experiences Light Overnight Frost
  WINNIPEG -- Jun 4/98 -- Light frost events struck numerous locations in western Canada's crop production areas over night, with weather forecasters predicting patchy frost the next couple of days.

• Weed Control in Field Peas - The Critical Step
  EDMONTON -- Jun 4/98 -- In field peas, weed control can make or break the crop. Field peas are not competitive and need closer attention when it comes to weed control than any of the other major crops grown in Alberta.

• China -- Lentil Import Summary

• China -- Lentil Export Summary

• China Expects 85,000 Lentil Crop
  GUANGZHOU -- Jun 5/98 -- China should maintain its status as a minor but strategically important player in world lentil markets this season assuming the harvest does not fall below 85,000 MT.

• GIPSA to Allow Bean Inspection Contracting Out
  WASHINGTON -- Jun 5/98 -- The USDA Grain Inspection, Packers and Stockyards Administration will allow GIPSA and State cooperators to use contractors to perform specified inspection services on processed commodities, beans, peas, lentils, and rice under the Agricultural Marketing Act of 1946.

• French Field Pea Disappearance Marches Forward
  PARIS -- Jun 5/98 -- Disappearance of French field peas continues to move forward at a more aggressive pace than was the case last year, judging from the latest export and domestic usage statistics compiled by the Union Nationale Interprofessionalle des Plantes Riches en Proteines.

• Easier Brazilian Demand Slows Argentine Beans
  VANCOUVER -- Jun 7/98 -- STAT -- Colored bean markets ended the week in mixed conditions as Brazilian importers paused to take a deep breath.

• Canadian Canaryseed Markets Plunge
  VANCOUVER -- Jun 7/98 -- STAT -- Canadian canaryseed markets plunged back to the bottom of their current, wide trading range.

• Weather Continues to Support Laird Lentils
  VANCOUVER -- Jun 7/98 -- STAT -- International lentil markets ended the week mixed against strengthening Canadian values and downward adjustments in those for Turkish origin product.

• Falling Soymeal Values Barely Impact Feed Pas
  VANCOUVER -- Jun 7/98 -- STAT -- North American field pea markets ended a quiet trading week with few significant prices changes.

• Australian Crop Production Estimates

• Australian Seeded Area Estimates

• Australian Pulse Areas Declines in Favor of Canola
  DONALD -- Jun 9/98 -- A huge migration of land from grains and pulses into canola is generating massive increases in the amount of land devoted to that commodity in Australia, while areas sown to pulses fall 4% to 4.89 million acres.

• Seeding Complete, Several Consider Reseeding
  REGINA  Jun 9/98  Frost, insect and drought damage has many growers in Saskatchewan and other parts of western Canada's growing region thinking about reseeding some of this year's crops.

• Chines Pulse Import Potential Should Grow
  EDMONTON -- Jun 11/98 -- Chinese imports of field peas and dry edible beans should continue to grow with improvements in living standards in that country, believes Alberta Agriculture's Song Wang.

• Costa Rican Bean Growers See El Nino's Worst
  SAN JOSE -- Jun 11/98 -- The extended drought in northern Costa Rica has hurt the country's black bean growers the most, with the agriculture ministry pegging crop losses at U.S. $6.6 million.

• New Healthful Sunflower Oil Resists Breakdown
  WASHINGTON -- Jun 11/98 -- The latest varieties of oil sunflower seed are expected to produce oils which taste better and stay fresh longer, according to the USDA's Agriculture Research Service.

• Canada Diominates Panamanian Pulse Imports
  PANAMA -- Jun 11/98 -- Canadian pulses dominate the Panamanian import industry despite historically strong ties with the United States, judging from the latest import data available.

• Weather Market Vapors Becoming Solid Fundamentals
  VANCOUVER -- Jun 12/98 -- Dramatic declines in ocean temperatures in the Pacific provide a clear signal El Nino is exiting stage left and La Nina arriving with a new set of weather disturbances.

• Dry Edible Beans Maintain Strong Tone
  VANCOUVER -- Jun 12/98 -- International dry edible bean markets ended the latest trading period on a strong note.

• Canaryseed Markets Rebound
  VANCOUVER -- Jun 12/98 -- One shipper jokingly referred to canaryseed markets as a dog last week, jumping up like a terrier trying to grab a bone from the table.

• Lentils Advance on Lower Yield Expectations
  VANCOUVER -- Jun 12/98 -- Scattered thunder shower activity during the week in Canadian lentil production areas offered no help to the few bears circling markets.

• Field Peas Lose Lustre
  VANCOUVER -- Jun 12/98 -- Bullish weather market conditions affecting other specialty crops continued to bypass field peas last week.

• Dry Weather Plays Havoc With Specialty Crops
  EDMONTON -- Jun 12/98 -- A continuation of hot, dry weather in portions of Alberta and Saskatchewan in particular, is playing havoc with specialty crop market prices, asserted Alberta Agriculture in its latest review of market conditions.

• Medicinal Plants Investigated in Manitoba
  WINNIPEG -- Jun 13/98 -- Medicinal plants with the potential to be grown in Manitoba are being investigated in trials at the University of Manitoba's Carman research farm and the Parkland Crop Diversification Center in Roblin.

• Sunflower Output Expabnding in Ukraine
  KIEV -- Jul 18/98 -- Sunflowerseed production should increase as Ukrainian farmers took advantage of the commodities liquidity by expanding seeded area this spring to nearly 2.2 million hectares.

• Mexico records Driest April and May in History
  MEXICO CITY -- Jul 18/98 -- Mexico recorded the driest April and May in its history as annual rainfall level through April 1998 plunged 52.3% below last year's levels and 41% under the annual average.

• Field Pea Outlook -- Selected Countries

• Canada -- Specialty Crop Production Outlook

• Pulse Quality is Key to Market Share
  DONALD -- Jul 19/98 -- The West Australian pulse industry would need to maintain pulse quality through crop management practices and post-harvest grading to ensure increased exports and market share.

• Canadian Crop Prospects Lowered
  VANCOUVER -- Jul 19/98 -- Optimism over western Canadian yield potential is fading despite shower activity during the week. Without a significant change in growing conditions it now seems unlikely crops will record average yields this summer.

• Demand Drives International Dry Edible Beans
  VANCOUVER -- Jun 19/98 -- Good demand continued to drive international dry edible bean markets during the week, maintaining the spot market price index at 782 points.

• Birdseed Ingredient Markets Remain in Weather Market
  VANCOUVER -- Jun 19/98 -- North American birdseed ingredient markets recorded few changes during a week which saw little fresh demand.

• Turkey Continues Pressing Red Lentil Markets
  VANCOUVER -- Jun 19/98 -- Limited demand was reported on international lentil markets during a week, which saw Turkey maintain its competitive pricing posture for red lentils.

• Field Peas Put in Lacluster Performance
  VANCOUVER -- Jun 19/98 -- Field pea markets recorded a generally lackluster performance as traders remain doubtful enough new demand can emerge to prevent stocks from rising during the coming season.

• Dry Spring Hurts Alberta Forage Seed Crops
  EDMONTON -- Jun 19/98 -- The dry spring has taken its toll on the timothy crop and the forecasted dry summer should allow the compactors to bale most of the production.

• Soil Moisture Conditions Improve in Alberta
  CALGARY -- Jun 19/98 -- Soil moisture conditions improved slightly in Alberta during the week, according to the latest crop progress report from Alberta Pool Elevators.

• Dramatic Improvement in Canadian Soil Moisture Conditions
  REGINA -- Jul 23/98 -- Rainy conditions over much of western Canada's crop production zones last week turned around the soil moisture outlook in most crop districts.

• Litany of Horrors Affect U.S. Crops
  WASHINGTON -- Jun 23/98 -- Field activities slowed and crop conditions deteriorated as relentless thunderstorms brought heavy rainfall that caused severe erosion and flooding to several areas of the corn belt, stated the USDA in its latest crop progress report.

• USDA Tenders for 12,310 MT Pulses
  KANSAS CITY -- Jun 23/98 -- The USDA's Commodity Credit Corporation office here announced a food aid tender covering 12,310 MT of field peas, lentils and dry edible beans.

• USDA Seeks Offers on 1,920 MT Beans
  KANSAS CITY -- STAT -- The total quantity of dry edible beans covered by USDA PL-480 food aid tender this season now totals 15,670 MT, compared to 35,071 MT last year.

• Pea and Lentil Tenders Total 10,390 MT
  KANSAS CITY -- STAT -- The quantity of peas and lentils covered by USDA PL-480 food aid tender this season now totals 50,550 MT, compared to 54,660 MT last year.

• USDA Tenders for 12,310 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 76,610 MT.

• Alberta Claims Further Drought Stress
  EDMONTON -- Jun 23/98 -- Without being able to put concrete numbers to it, Alberta Agriculture makes it clear the latest round of shower activity was not widespread enough to prevent regions with drought stressed crops from deteriorating further.

• New Official Moisture Meter for Sunflower Seed
  WASHINGTON -- Jun 26/98 -- The USDA grain inspection service will change the devide used to measure moisture in sunflower seed to the Grain Analysis Computer Model 2100 (GAC 2100) effective August 1.

• Markets Quiet in Front of N. American Crop Reports
  VANCOUVER -- Jun 27/98 -- A more relaxed tone on the part of North American weather forecasters is making it easier for specialty crop markets to adopt a quieter attitude in front of two important crop reports from Statistics Canada and the USDA.

• Black Beans Pull Complex Higher
  VANCOUVER -- Jun 27/98 -- Colored bean markets managed a mixed performance despite continued demand, helping lift the U.S. spot market price index slightly to 788 points.

• Birdseed Complex Quiet in Light Demand
  VANCOUVER -- Jun 27/98 -- Few changes were reported in birdseed ingredient markets during the week.

• Canadian Lwentil Stocks Tighten on Spot Markets
  VANCOUVER -- Jun 27/98 -- Slight improvements in moisture conditions in western Canada left markets looking for strong news in order to reestablish upward price trends.

• Field Pea Markets Mainly Sideways
  VANCOUVER -- Jun 27/98 -- International field pea markets were mainly sideways despite reports of steady demand for product Latin American and Pacific Rim destinations.

• Moisture Dampens Grower Markets
  EDMONTON -- Jun 27/98 -- The precipitation over the past week help push prices lower on most special commodities at the grower level in western Canada.

• Canada -- Specialty Crop Production Summary and Forecast

• Canada -- Crop Production Summary and Forecast

• U.S. Bean Production Estimates By State

• U.S. Dry Edible Bean Estimates by Variety

• Mostly Bearsh Seeded Area Estimates for Canada
  VANCOUVER -- Jun 30/98 -- Land committed to specialty crop production in North America is higher than first expected, leading traders arriving at work early in the morning to conclude the latest seeded area estimates from Statistics Canada and the USDA are not bullish.

• California Bean Area Estimates Stir Controversy
  WASHINGTON -- Jun 30/98 -- Land committed to dry edible bean production in the United States is higher than first thought at just over two million acres for the second largest crop area of the decade, according to the latest seeded area estimates from the USDA.

• Specialty Oilseed Plantings Rise in United States
  WASHINGTON -- Jun 30/98 -- Plantings of minor and specialty oilseeds increased in the United States this spring, according to the latest seeded area estimates prepared by the USDA.

• CORRECTED U.S. Dry Edible Bean Estimates by Variety

• USDA Tenders for 1,000 MT Lentils, Red Beans
  KANSAS CITY -- Jun 30/98 -- The USDA's Commodity Credit Corporation Office here announced tender invitation 078A covering 1,000 MT of lentils and 1,000 MT of small red beans for shipment in August.

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