Aussies fear pulse drop

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A dry September and October have forced Pulse Australia to chop its 2008 crop estimate.

Total pulse production is pegged at 1.23 million tonnes, down 22 percent from September’s estimate because of poor conditions in South Australia, Victoria and southern New South Wales.

“Hot winds, dry conditions and frosts have had a big impact on pulse crop prospects,” said the association in its Oct. 31 crop forecast.

“For many, it’s a worse season than 2006.”

Pea production is forecast at 254,300 tonnes, down 31 percent from September. Lentil output has been slashed 61 percent to 51,400 tonnes.

Desi chickpea production is estimated at 303,650 tonnes, up three percent from a month earlier due to better crop conditions in Queensland and northern New South Wales where the crop is grown.

About the author

Sean Pratt has been working at The Western Producer since 1993 after graduating from the University of Regina’s School of Journalism. Sean also has a Bachelor of Commerce degree from the University of Saskatchewan and worked in a bank for a few years before switching careers. Sean primarily writes markets and policy stories about the grain industry and has attended more than 100 conferences over the past three decades. He has received awards from the Canadian Farm Writers Federation, North American Agricultural Journalists and the American Agricultural Editors Association.