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Specialty Crop News for March, 1998

• Canada Optimistic About Red Lentils, Chick Peas, Beans
  VANCOUVER -- Mar 3/98 -- STAT -- Northern hemisphere pulse markets are entering a time when markets are buffeted by a seemingly increasing stream of seeding intentions and production forecasts from private and public sources.

• USDA Buys Green Peas, Lentils, Beans
  KANSAS CITY -- Mar 5/98 -- The USDA's Commodity Credit Corporation Office here bought the full quantity of pulses requested under the latest USDA PL-480 food aid tender.

• USDA Names Popcorn Board Members
  WASHINGTON -- Mar 6/98 -- Nine individuals were named to the new National Popcorn Board byU.S. Secretary of Agriculture Dan Glickman.

• Specialty Crop Market Stalemate
  EDMONTON -- Mar 6/98 -- Canadian specialty crop markets ended the week in a stalemate with growers not keen to sell and end users showing little interest.

• Quiet Markets Leaves Beans Mostly Unchanged
  VANCOUVER -- Mar 6/98 -- STAT -- Few changes were reported in dry edible bean markets on the week. Light buying interest was reported from buyers in Latin America and the Pacific Rim. Even so, growers and processors remain relative bullish about medium term prospects for dry edible beans. This keeps them from meeting the bids of buyers. Supply problems in specific qualities of Michigan pea beans and blackeye cowpeas seems to be encouraging market bulls. Some buyers have responded by working through t

• Canaryseed Plunges in Consumer Driven Selling
  VANCOUVER -- Mar 6/98 -- STAT -- Canadian canaryseed markets plunged in light inter-dealer activity last week. Some processors blamed the price decline on consumer buyers who became frustrated with the unwillingness of Canadians to sell at their bid levels. Convinced the supply situation in Canada, Hungary and Argentina warrants a lower price, some consumers started selling last week in an effort to establish markets at lower values and attract North American selling. The strategy does not appear to

• Light Demand Allows Lentils To Close Lower
  VANCOUVER -- Mar 6/98 -- STAT -- Generally light consumer buying interest failed to prevent North American lentils from showing their volatile side during the week. Canadian Eston lentils were down sharply, ending the period down 75 cents to close atU.S. $16 cwt for machine dressed merchandise in bags delivered Montreal. Laird lentils inched lower. Most U.S. processors are asking $15 cwt for No 1 regular lentils, but some state bids at $14.75 cwt would likely attract some selling as they attempt to

• Rising Stocks Leaves Canadian Peas Limp
  VANCOUVER -- Mar 6/98 -- STAT -- Field peas were mostly weaker on a week during which the Canadian government confirmed stocks of peas held on farms in western Canada are up dramatically over last year. Combined with slack import demand, the news madeit hard for markets to sustain their values in Canada. Feed peas were most dramatically affected, with the Winnipeg Commodity Exchange futures contract plunging to record low territory at U.S. $158 MT delivered north European ports. Though representing

• Western Australia Steps up Pulse Disease Battle
  DONALD -- Mar 12/98 -- Western Australiais stepping up efforts to collaborate with other countries in the identification and control of diseases affecting pulses.

• Foxtail Millet Encouraged for Central United States Plains
  DENVER -- Mar 12/98 -- Foxtail millet, grown for forage instead of seed, could make an important contribution to the productive capacity of land in the central plains region of the United States, according to a recent article by Dennis Senft, published in the USDA's Agricultural Research magazine.

• Turkey -- Combined Lentil Supply-Demand

• Turkey -- Green Lentil Supply-Demand

• Turkey -- Chick Pea Supply-Demand

• Turkey -- Red Lentil Supply-Demand

• Turkey -- Red Lentil Supply-Demand

• Turkey -- Combined Lentil Supply-Demand

• Turkey -- Chick Pea Supply-Demand

• Turkey -- Green Lentil Supply-Demand

• Mexican Phyto Changes May Affect Peas
  EXICO CITY -- Mar 13/98 -- Field peas may need to receive prior phytosanitary approval before being imported into Mexico, judging from changes contemplated in that country's import regime.

• U.S.P.N.W. Domestic Pea and Lentil Sales

• France -- Field Pea Sales Review

• Easy Demand Reflected in Slackening Values
  VANCOUVER -- Mar 15/98 -- Dry edible bean markets continued to ease, with the recent, gentle decline in prices continuing.

• Grower Holding Supports Canadian Canaryseed
  VANCOUVER -- Mar 15/98 -- North American birdseed ingredient markets ended the week on a mixed note.

• North American Lentil Markets Soften
  VANCOUVER -- Mar 15/98 -- Limited demand left North American lentil markets in a weaker state by the end of the trading period.

• Canadian Feed Peas Establish New Historic News
  VANCOUVER -- Mar 15/98 -- Feed pea markets led the international field pea complex lower on the week, with traders on the floor of the Winnipeg Commodity Exchange setting new lows for the commodity.

• European Consumers Calm About Depth of Demand
  VANCOUVER -- Mar 15/98 -- North American processors and growers usually view El Nino years as bullish years. Yet, some consumers perceive them as bearish years with the warmer winters the events brings to some parts of the world reducing pulse consumption.

• Slow Demand Outweighs Easing Demand
  EDMONTON -- Mar 16/98 -- Slow foreign demand continues to weigh on most specialty crop markets, overcoming projections from additional forecasters of acreage declines in 1998.

• Korea Dependent on Food Imports Through September
  ROME -- Mar 18/98 -- North Korean food stocks are expected to be fully depleted by the end of April, leaving the country entirely dependent on food aid and commercial imports until the next harvest in September/October.

• Turkish Chick Pea Expansion Expected This Spring
  PARIS -- Mar 16/98 -- Chick pea production is forecast to increase slightly as better yields combine with a modest improvement in seeded area to pull production to a potential 737,000 MT this year on top of a projected ending stock of 111,000 MT.

• Turkish Green Lentil Imports to Keep Rising
  PARIS -- Mar 16/98 -- Turkish crops are entered the 1998-99 season with good prospects for yields, likely offsetting falling pulse seedings for a net increase in production levels this spring and summer.

• USDA Buys 4,790 MT Pulses For Food Aid
  KANSAS CITY -- Mar 20/98 -- The USDA's Commodity Credit Corporation office here today confirmed the purchase of 4,790 MT of pulses for shipment as food aid.

• Quality Issues Remain N. American Bean Concern
  VANCOUVER -- Mar 20/98 -- STAT -- Quality concerns remained a dominant factor in North American dry edible bean markets last week.

• Canada Struggles With Canseed Area Implications
  VANCOUVER -- Mar 20/98 -- STAT -- Opinions over new crop seeding levels in western Canada cover a wide range of acreage estimates, leaving markets uncertain as to the bearish or bullish nature of new crop intentions.

• New Crop Lairds Strengthen on Area Concerns
  VANCOUVER -- Mar 20/98 -- STAT -- Western Canada's drier than normal winter continues to create uncertainty in new crop lentil markets.

• Good Domestic Demand Fails to Support Green Peas
  VANCOUVER -- Mar 20/98 -- STAT -- Slower than expected export demand and the resulting increase in stocks continues to make it hard for North American field pea markets to post sustained advances.

• USDA Seeks Offer of 7,340 MT Pulses For Food Aid
  KANSAS CITY -- Mar 24/98 -- The USDA's Commodity Credit Corporation office here today invited offers on 7,340 MT of pulses for shipment as food aid.

• U.S. Dry Edible Bean Shipments to Mexico

• Mexico -- Dry Edible Bean Supply-Demand Estimates

• Mexican Import Needs Remain Over 148,000 MT
  EXICO CITY -- Mar 27/98 -- STAT -- Wildly optimistic Mexican import forecasts are adding more confusion than clarity to North American dry edible bean markets for the balance of the 1997-98 marketing campaign.

• USDA Seeks Offers on 4,350 MT Beans
  KANSAS CITY -- STAT -- The total quantity of dry edible beans covered by USDA PL-480 food aid tender this season now totals 10,190 MT, compared to 26,670 MT last year.

• Pea and Lentil Tenders Total 5,890 MT
  KANSAS CITY -- STAT -- The quantity of peas and lentils covered by USDA PL-480 food aid tender this season now totals 33,880 MT, compared to 44,560 MT last year.

• Rising Argentine Seedings Limit Bean Advances
  VANCOUVER -- Mar 29/98 -- STAT -- International dry edible bean markets ended the period mixed against light demand and news of slightly bigger than expected Argentine seedings.

• Birdseed Ingredient Markets Mixed
  VANCOUVER -- Mar 29/98 -- STAT -- Birdseed ingredient markets ended the week mixed.

• Lentil Markets Weaken in Quiet Trade
  VANCOUVER -- Mar 29/98 -- STAT -- North American lentil markets weakened under quiet trading conditions.

• Field Pea Markets See Some Record Lows
  VANCOUVER -- Mar 29/98 -- STAT -- North American field pea markets continued to ease in a week which saw new lows established for feed peas on European markets.

• U.S. Bean Production Estimates By State

• U.S. Dry Edible Bean Estimates by Variety

• Confectionary Sunflower Area Plunging
  WASHINGTON -- Mar 31/98 -- Area committed to confectionary sunflower seed varieties in the United States this spring will drop dramatically if growers do not change their seeding intentions.

• U.S. Growers Intend to Expand Dry Edible Bean Seedings
  WASHINGTON -- Mar 31/98 -- Dry edible beans are among the few major crops grown in the United States which growers intend to expand seeded area, according to the latest planting intentions report from the USDA.

• Thailand -- Mung Bean Export Shipments

• Thailand -- Dry Edible Bean Supply-Demand

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