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Specialty Crop News for March, 1997

• Sell Recommendations Add to Lentil Market Jitters
  VANCOUVER -- Feb 28/97 -- STAT -- North American lentil markets ended weekly trading on a softer note amid aggressive efforts by a Canadian grain company to encourage growers to sell product.

• Indian Pea Market Should Cool After March
  VANCOUVER -- Feb 28/97 -- STAT -- The international field pea complex posted another strong week against solid export demand from the Indian subcontinent and China.

• USDA Pulse Purchases Announced
  KANSAS CITY -- Mar 5/97 -- The USDA's Kansas City Commodity Office today announced the following purchases for Export Distribution under the latest PL-480 food aid tender.

• Product Substitution Favors Canaryseed for 97-98 Season
  VANCOUVER -- Mar 7/97 -- STAT -- Product substitutions occur in birdseed ingredient markets, with prices influencing the relative percentages of millet and canaryseed packagers use. Canaryseed usage increased faster than the total size of the birdseed ingredient market much of the first half of this decade. Shortages of millet seed as a result of strong export sales programs and lack of production in the United States drove prices near or above those for canaryseed for several months at a time.

• Canadian Field Pea Industry Direction Shifting
  VANCOUVER -- Mar 7/97 -- STAT -- Specialty crops have proven during the last decade that they are often more dynamic than those for traditional grains and oilseeds. They can look like mature markets with predictable sources of supply and demand until a small shift in market emphasis becomes a new and unexpected direction. Recent events involving field peas and China illustrate the dynamic side of specialty crops.

• Aschochyta-Resistant Lentils Available in Saskatchewan
  REGINA -- Mar 8/97 -- The major disease problem of lentil in Saskatchewan is ascochyta blight, says Ray McVicar, crop development specialist, Saskatchewan Agriculture and Food. Ascochyta not only reduces yield and quality, its control with fungicide adds greatly to producer input costs.

• Light Grasshopper Infestations Seen for 97 in Saskatchewan
  REGINA -- Mar 8/97 -- The 1997 Grasshopper Forecast for Saskatchewan shows the risk of grasshopper damage to crops and rangeland during the 1997 growing season is not expected to show an increase from 1996.

• Bearish Mood Builds in Dry Edible Bean Market
  VANCOUVER -- Mar 7/97 -- STAT -- Light international trading interest left dry edible bean markets in poor spirits by week's end, with values generally easier.

• Canaryseed Vreaks $10 Barrier
  VANCOUVER -- Mar 7/97 -- STAT -- Canadian canaryseed markets broke the ten dollar barrier for the first time last week since September of 1994.

• Mixed Lentil Performance on Easing Demand
  VANCOUVER -- Mar 7/97 -- STAT -- International lentil markets recorded a mixed performance during a week which saw only limited commercial buying support.

• Field Pea Markets Show Signs of Stalling
  VANCOUVER -- Mar 7/97 -- STAT -- Field pea market advances appeared to slow last week. Canadian markets showing little change despite price advances in Australia and the United States.

• Mexico Expects Drop in Ag Imports
  MEXICO CITY - Mar 13/97 -- Mexican imports of dry edible beans and other primary agricultural products are expected to drop during 1997 because of improved production results in the country.

• Stable Pulse Production Expected in Syria
  DAMASCUS -- Mar 14/97 -- Little change in the size of lentil and chick pea crops is expected this year in Syria despite a small increase in expected plantings of lentils.

• French Field Pea Sales Advance over 1996
  PARIS -- Mar 14/97 -- Sales of French field peas inched above the previous year's levels during the first half of the country's 1996-97 marketing year, according to statistics compiled by the Union Nationale Interprofessionele des Plantes Riches en Proteines.

• Mexico Offers Markets Little Bullish Hope
  VANCOUVER -- Mar 14/97 -- STAT -- Mexico is not having the positive influence on world markets dry edible bean and chick pea traders like to see at this time of year. One reason is the country moved, with remarkable speed, from being a massive buyer of pulses to only needing the usual amount.

• Bearish Mood Pervades North American Bean Complex
  VANCOUVER -- Mar 14/97 -- STAT -- North American dry edible bean markets ended another week in a generally bearish mood.

• Forage Seed Markets Remain Generally Quiet
  EDMONTON -- Mar 14/97 -- Forage seed markets remain quiet, note Alberta Agriculture econmists in their latest review of forage and specialty crop market conditions in that province. One exception is clover.

• Popcorn Market Eases Against Argentine Harvest
  VANCOUVER -- Mar 14/97 -- STAT -- International birdseed ingredient markets remained under pressure during an uneventful week, with Argentine harvests adding to the bearish tone affecting values.

• Laird Lentils Pressured, Esston Helped by Demand
  VANCOUVER -- Mar 14/97 -- STAT -- International lentil markets put in another mixed performance last week.

• Chick Pea Spreads Narrow Between Turkey, Australia
  VANCOUVER -- Mar 14/97 -- STAT -- International field pea markets ended the week's trading mixed. Field peas were generally stronger, while chick peas were softer in Turkey and Mexico and strong in Australia.

• Australian Chick Pea Supply-Demand Estimates

• Australian Lupin Supply-Demand Estimates

• Australian Field Pea Supply-Demand Estimates

• Rumors of Iraqi Bean Deal Quiets Market
  VANCOUVER -- Mar 21/97 -- STAT -- North American dry edible bean markets were mostly unchanged in a week which saw little confirmed trading activity.

• Birdseed Ingredient Pricess Flat, Trade Up
  VANCOUVER -- Mar 21/97 -- STAT -- Birdseed ingredient markets were generally unchanged in a week in which some increase in export sales activity was reported.

• China Expects to Reduce Dry Edible Bean Seedings
  VANCOUVER -- Mar 21/97 -- STAT -- A general decline in the size of China's grain crops are currently forecast for the coming year. More importantly for specialty crop markets are predictions of additional declines in pulse area as part of a government get farmers to plant more cereal grains.

• China Expects to Reduce Dry Edible Bean Seedings
  VANCOUVER -- Mar 21/97 -- STAT -- A general decline in the size of

• Evening of Positions Dominates Lentil Markets
  VANCOUVER -- Mar 21/97 -- STAT -- International lentil markets posted another mixed performance as most market participants tried to even up positions in front of the northern hemisphere's pending harvests.

• China -- Mung Bean Export Summary

• Canadian Feed Peas Lead Canadian Cash Markets
  VANCOUVER -- Mar 21/97 -- STAT -- Inter dealer trading activity in Canadian field peas pushed up values in a week in which few export sales were reported.

• China -- Beans (misc.) Export Summary

• U.S. Green Pea Supply-Demand Estimates

• U.S. Lentil Supply-Demand Estimates

• Beans gaining popularity
  EDMONTON -- Mar 24/97 -- In spite of a reasonably good outlook for traditional cereal and oilseed crop prices, farmers are looking for alternatives. With wheat and other traditional crops not living up to expectations coupled with freight rate increases, returns on traditional crops have been reduced.

• USDA Favors Pinto Beans in Latest Food Aid Tender
  KANSAS CITY -- Mar 25/97 -- The USDA favored pinto beans over other pulses in the latest PL-480 food aid tender invitation 047, reuesting offers on 3,770 MT of product compared to 470 MT of green peas and 1,900 MT of lentils.

• Pea and Lentil Tenders Total 2,370 MT
  KANSAS CITY -- STAT -- The quantity of peas and lentils covered by USDA PL-480 food aid tender this season now totals 46,930 MT, compared to 60,965 MT last year.

• USDA Seeks Offers on 3,770 MT Beans
  KANSAS CITY -- STAT -- The total quantity of dry edible beans covered by USDA PL-480 food aid tender this season now totals 26,550 MT, compared to 24,585 MT last year.

• USDA Tenders for 6,140 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 1995-96 shipping season to 71,110 MT.

• Canadian Mustard Seed Supply-Demand Estimates

• Canadian Canaryseed Supply-Demand Estimates

• Canadian Lentil Supply-Demand Estimates

• Canadian Field Pea Supply-Demand Estimates

• Costa Rica Expected to Buy 17,000 Black Beans by June
  SAN JOSE -- Mar 27/97 -- Smaller than expected domestic dry edible bean production in Costa Rica is expected to result in imports of 17,000 MT of black beans before the end of June.

• Fescue and Clover Seed Markets Weaken
  EDMONTON -- Mar 27/97 -- Fescue and clover seed prices weakened during the week, while the other forage seed markets remain relatively unchanged, according to the latest analysis of forage seed markets from Alberta Agriculture.

• China -- Kidney Bean Export Summary

• Brazil -- Dry Edible Bean Supply-Demand Estimates

• Brazilian Crop Problems Contribute to Black Bean Firmness
  VANCOUVER -- Mar 28/97 -- STAT -- Numerous factors are combining to strengthen Latin American black bean markets this spring. Confirmation of a crop failure in Costa Rica, damage to Brazilian crops, easing competition from Chile and China are key reasons for recent price advances.

• China -- Broadbean Export Summary

• U.S. Beabn Prices Falter Despite Rising Demand
  VANCOUVER -- Mar 28/97 -- STAT -- Dry edible bean markets ended weekly trading mixed as a result of conflicting demand signals.

• Birdseed Ingredient Market SDlows in Holiday Shortened
  VANCOUVER -- Mar 28/97 -- STAT -- Few changes were reported in birdseed ingredient markets in a holiday shortened week.

• Canadian Lentilss Pressured, Turkish Firming
  VANCOUVER -- Mar 28/97 -- STAT -- International lentil markets continued to reveal a mixed picture last week.

• China -- Dry Edible Bean Supply-Demand Forecast

• Indian Demand Sagging in Front of Hungarian Crops
  VANCOUVER -- Mar 28/97 -- STAT -- International field pea markets ended weekly trading mixed. Australian markets eased in the face of sagging demand from the Indian subcontinent.

• U.S. Farmers Plan to Boost Dry Edible Bean Seedings 6%
  WASHINGTON -- Mar 31/97 -- American farmers intend to plant 1.91 million acres of dry beans in 1997, up 6% from last year but 7% below 1995, according to the latest seeded area estimated released by the USDA.

• U.S. Peanut Crop Foreseed at 1.4 Million Acres
  WASINGTON -- Mar 31/97 -- Peanuts growers in the United States intend to plant 1.40 million acres of peanuts in 1997, down 1% from the 1996 planted acreage of 1.41 million acres and

• Confection Sunflower Seedings Expected to Jump 25% in U.S.
  WASHINGTON -- Mar 31 /97 -- Growers in the United States intend to plant 3.06 million acres of sunflower this spring, made up of 2.35 million acres of oil type sunflower seed and 712,000 acres of confectionary types.

• U.S. Bean Production Estimates By State

• U.S. Dry Edible Bean Estimates by Variety

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