Hot prices are expected to produce a sizable jump in mustard seed plantings this spring.
Steve Gadient, mustard specialist with Montana Specialty Mills of Great Falls, Mont., told producers attending the annual meeting of the Saskatchewan Mustard Development Commission that he expects about 420,000 acres will be seeded to the spicy oilseed on the Prairies in 2007.
That’s about 17 percent higher than the roughly 360,000 acres seeded in the spring of 2006, but still well below the previous three-year average of 715,000 acres.
Based on yields of around 1,000 pounds per acre, that should produce a 2007 crop of slightly less than 200,000 tonnes, compared with 116,000 tonnes produced in 2006.
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In an interview, Gadient said despite the sizable increase in acreage and production, he doesn’t expect prices to suffer as a result.
“We could probably stand to have 525,000 or 600,000 acres without having any serious impact on prices,” he said, adding plantings have been as high as 860,000 acres.
Contract prices are 20 to 22 cents per lb. for yellow mustard, 17 to 19 cents for brown mustard and 16 to 18 cents for oriental mustard.
“In the last six months prices have probably increased by 50 percent,” Gadient said.
If the projected increase in acres doesn’t happen, buyers will have to bid the price up even higher, especially given the fact that other crops are also looking more attractive than last year.
“We need more acres and at least average yields, or we’ll see prices go even higher,” Gadient said.
According to Agriculture Canada, Canada entered the 2006-07 marketing year with a mustard seed inventory of 190,000 tonnes.
