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Specialty Crop News for May, 1998

• Moroccan Crop Prospects Lowered
  RABAT -- May 1/98 -- Moroccan grain production is expected to be generally lower on account of poor rainfall in March, but some parts of the country still expect above average yields.

• Slow Sales Evolution Diminishes Bean Values
  VANCOUVER -- May 1/98 -- STAT -- North American dry edible bean markets ended the week with a slightly weaker tone prevailing.

• Canadian Canaryseed Plunges on Acreage Intentions
  VANCOUVER -- May 1/98 -- STAT -- Rockets sent flying by canaryseed speculators the previous week crashed to the ground against the Statistics Canada seedings intentions estimates.

• Laird Lentil Bullishness Leaves Lentils Mixed
  VANCOUVER -- May 1/98 -- STAT -- International lentil markets ended weekly trading on a mixed note, with efforts to become bullish toward the commodity stumbling over weak demand.

• Western Canadian Seeding Leaps Forward
  VANCOUVER -- May 6/98 -- Excellent seeding progres was recorded across much of the North American last week, as growers took advantage of this year's unusually warm and dry spring.

• Mixed, But Early Seeding Conditions for U.S. Dry Beans
  VANCOUVER -- May 6/98 -- Crop reports from various dry edible bean growing states in the U.S. reveal a mixed picture facing growers in that country as they try to get this year's crops in the ground.

• USDA Buys 5,230 MT Pulses for Food Aid
  KANSAS CITY -- May 6/98 -- The USDA Commodity Credit Corporation office here confirmed the purchase of 5,230 MT of pulses for shipment as food aid during the periods June 6 - 20 and June 21 - July 5, 1998, for inland plants.

• Fundamental Organic Rules Changes Proposed
  WASHINGTON -- May 8/98 -- The USDA will make fundamental revisions to its proposed national organic standards rulesas a result of the 200,000 comments received on the initial proposal, announced Agriculture Secretary Dan Glickman.

• Forage Seed Trade Remains Light
  EDMONTON -- May 8/98 -- With the exception of alfalfa seed, forage seed trade remains relatively light, according to the latest market update from Alberta Agriculture.

• U.S. Bean Industry Not Keeping Pace With Demand Potential
  WASHINGTON -- May 8/98 -- Domestic dry edible bean consumption in the United States is expected to improve through the balance of the century, potentially limiting volumes of product available to meet what could be a growing export potential.

• USDA Says Per Capita Use of Beans 7.8 pounds in 1997
  WASHINGTON -- May 8/98 -- Per capita use of all types of dry edible beans in the United States rose from 7.5 pounds to 7.8 pounds in 1997 as part of a general trend toward increased use of healthy foods.

• Gut Busting Bull News Bowls Over Bears
  VANCOUVER -- May 8/98 -- STAT -- Unimaginably large numbers are flooding from the pencils of agricultural economists calculating the impact the tail of the latest El Nino event will have on crops in Brazil, Argentina, and Mexico.

• Brazilian Purchases Support U.S. Pinto Beans
  VANCOUVER -- May 8/98 -- STAT -- Increasingly bullish international market conditions added strength to North American dry edible bean markets last week.

• Canaryseed Market Recovers Losses on Drought Worry
  VANCOUVER -- May 8/98 -- STAT -- Canadian canaryseed markets continued their highly volatile ways, with prices jumping upwards on the week.

• Laird Lentil Values Continue Rising
  VANCOUVER -- May 8/98 -- STAT -- North American lentil values traded higher on concerns over spring seeding conditions in western Canada.

• Indian Subcontinent Demand Rises in Field Pea Market
  VANCOUVER -- May 8/98 -- STAT -- Canadian field pea markets advanced on the week in the face of weather concerns and rising demand.

• Canadian Oilseed Stocks Down from Last Year
  OTTAWA -- May 10/98 -- Stocks of Canadian canola and flaxseed are down from levels seen the last two years, according to the latest stocks in all positions report from Statistics Canada.

• USDA Tenders for 4,010 MT Lentils for Sierra Leone
  KANSAS CITY -- May 11/98 -- The USDA's Commodity Credit Corporation office here has tendered for 4,010 MT of No 3 or better lentils for shipment to Sierra Leone in late June and early July.

• USDA Tenders for 4,010 MT Lentils for Sierra Leone
  KANSAS CITY -- May 11/98 -- The USDA's Commodity Credit Corporation office here has tendered for 4,010 MT of No 3 or better lentils for shipment to Sierra Leone in late June and early July.

• Near Record Seeding Progress in Western Canada
  VANCOUVER -- May 13/98 -- Seeding this year's North American pulse and specialty crops remains ahead of schedule, with western Canadian growers pushing forward at a record pace under abnormally hot and dry spring conditions.

• U.S. Almond Crop Plunges 27%
  WASHINGTON -- May 13/98 -- The first forecast of 1998 California almond production is 249,480 MT, shelled basis. This is down 27% from the record 1997 crop of 343,373 MT.

• CN Plans to Rationalize Rail Lines in Alberta Pea Area
  MONTREAL -- May 13/98 -- As part of this year's 2,648 kilometer rationalization plan, CN Rail plans to turn over two lines in Alberta's prime field pea production area to short haul rail companies.

• Laird Lentils Get Their Turn in Barrel
  VANCOUVER -- May 15/98 -- Weather and worries about the quantity of Laird lentils sown in Saskatchewan this spring are the driving forces behind the latest round of price increases for this commodity. However, demand could become the foundation for asustained improvement in pricing levels during the 1998-99 season.

• Latin American Demand Supports Dry Edible Beans
  VANCOUVER -- May 18/98 -- Strong Latin American demand pulled colored bean markets sharply higher on the week.

• Weather Keeps Birdseed Ingredient Market Volatile
  VANCOUVER -- May 18/98 -- North American birdseed ingredient markets remained volatile during the week as traders responded to weather forecasts.

• Lairds Cotinue to Led Lentil Market
  VANCOUVER -- May 18/98 -- Speculative trading based on changing weather conditions over Canada's primary lentil growing area took prices on a wild ride during the week.

• Cooling Temperatures Take ERdge of Pea Markets
  VANCOUVER -- May 18/98 -- North American field pea markets managed a less inspired performance on the week than was the case for other specialty crops.

• BNSF Boosts Rail Transportation Charges
  FORTH WORTH -- May 19/98 -- Several changes were recently made in rail transporation tariffs which specifically affect the U.S. pulse industry.

• USDA Seeks Offers on 1,170 MT Beans
  KANSAS CITY -- STAT -- The total quantity of dry edible beans covered by USDA PL-480 food aid tender this season now totals 13,750 MT, compared to 31,861 MT last year.

• Pea and Lentil Tenders Total 7,970 MT
  KANSAS CITY -- STAT -- The quantity of peas and lentils covered by USDA PL-480 food aid tender this season now totals 49,460 MT, compared to 54,660 MT last year.

• USDA Tenders for 9,140 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 1997-98 shipping season to 63,210 MT.

• USDA Issues Bullish Green Pea Tender
  KANSAS CITY -- May 19/98 -- The USDA's Commodity Credit Corporation (CCC) office here issued a bullish whole green pea tender, requesting 7,350 MT for shipment against invitation 068.

• Manitoba Field Peas 75-90% Seeded
  WINNIPEG -- May 20/98 -- Rain showers and snow at mid-week along with showers on the weekend improved soil moisture conditions in Manitoba, while interfering little with general seeding progress, according to the latest crop report from the provincial agriculture department.

• Soil Moisture Conditions Improve in Saskatchewan

• Sudan's Food Aid Needs Explode Upward
  ROME -- May 20/98 -- Emergency food aid requirements in Sudan are exploding upward as intensified civil conflict combines with drought to aggravate food shortages in the country.

• Emergency Food Relief Organized for North East Brazil
  ROME -- May 21/98 -- Emergency food relief programs have been organized for north east Brazil, where an estimated 4.8 million people face the "immediate risk of starvation" as a result of this year's El Nino weather phenomenon.

• USDA Announces Loan Rates for Mustard and Minor Oilseeds
  WASHINGTON -- May 21/98 --County loan rates for minor oilseeds grown in the United States this year were announced by Secretary of Agriculture Dan Glickman.

• Soil Moisture Conditions Improve in Alberta
  CALGARY -- May 22/98 -- Soil moisture conditoons showed an important improvement in Alberta during the week as the percentage of land rated good to very good jumped from 20% to 44%.

• Weather Bulls Continue to Dominate Markets
  VANCOUVER -- May 22/98 -- STAT -- Independent confirmation of Brazilian crop production problems by the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization combined with continued worries about conditions in several North American locations to keep this years weather market alive.

• Brazil Buys in Argentine Beans with U.S.
  VANCOUVER -- May 22/98 -- STAT -- Good Latin American demand combined with localized weather problems to push dry edible bean markets higher.

• Weather Forecasts Drive Canaryseed Markets
  VANCOUVER -- May 22/98 -- STAT -- Canadian canaryseed markets continued to follow weather forecasts more closely than changes in fundamental supply and demand.

• North American Lentils Generally Firmer
  VANCOUVER -- May 22/98 -- STAT -- North American lentil markets were generally firmer on a week during which hot and dry weather conditions reasserted itself across the primary growing region in Canada.

• Field Pea Complex Manages Mixed Performance
  VANCOUVER -- May 22/98 -- STAT -- International field pea markets managed a mixed performance on the week.

• USDA Tenders for 2,900 MT Pulses
  KANSAS CITY -- May 22/98 -- The USDA's Commodity Credit Corporation office here announced a tender for 2,900 MT of pulses for shipment in July.

• USDA Buys 4,010 MT Lentils for Food Aid
  KANSAS CITY -- May 22/98 -- The USDA's Commodity Credit Cororation office here announced the purchase of 4,010 MT of lentils for shipment to Sierra Leone for shipment to arrive in ports in July.

• Canadian Crops Sown, Waiting for Rain
  REGINA -- May 26/98 -- Only a few fields of Western Canadian specialty crops remain to be sown. But in getting the job done in record fashion has left markets in the solid grip of a drought-like weather market.

• U.S. Processors Regain Some Domestic Market Share
  MOSCOW -- May 26/98 -- Sales of U.S. grown peas and lentils to domestic packagers and food processors continue to post strong advances over last season, according to the latest sales figures compiled by the USA Dry Pea and Lentil Council

• Alberta Agriculture Publishes Buckwheat Factsheet
  EDMONTON -- May 27/98 -- Buckwheat was termed a wheat because it was used in the same way as wheat. However, it does not belong to the grass family and isn't considered a true cereal.

• Alberta Seeding Done, Soil Conditions Drop
  CALGARY -- May 29/98 -- Seeding is virtually complete across Alberta but soil moisture conditions declined slightly despite shower activity during the week, according to the latest crop report from Alberta Pool Elevators.

• Bean Market Traders Short Adjectives
  VANCOUVER -- May 29/98 -- STAT -- Latin American markets completed another week of unreservedly bullish price and demand activity, affecting outlooks for both colored and white beans for the coming quarter.

• Lentils One of Alberta's Top Income Generators
  EDMONTON -- May 29/98 -- Lentils and sugar beets led the list of top income generating crops in Alberta last year, according to numbers compiled by the provincial Production Economics and Statistics Branch.

• Latin American Leads Dry Edible Beans Upward
  VANCOUVER -- May 29/98 -- STAT -- Latin American demand continued to keep fires blazing in international dry edible bean markets last week.

• Weather Worries and Demand Firm Birdseeds
  VANCOUVER -- May 29/98 -- STAT -- Birdseed ingredient markets ended the week with a slightly firmer undertone against continued weather concerns in western Canada and modest demand.

• Laird Lentils See Extreme Volatility
  VANCOUVER -- May 29/98 -- STAT -- Extreme volatility in Canadian lentil markets was masked by limited price movement on a week to week basis.

• Food Grade Pas Advance, Feed Decline
  VANCOUVER -- May 29/98 -- STAT -- Weather worries in western Canada contributed to a slight improvement in field pea values on the week.

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