Lentil production dropped seven percent in Agriculture Canada’s Sept. 18 special crops outlook.
The agency is forecasting a 660,000 tonne Canadian crop, down from the Aug. 31 outlook of 710,000 tonnes.
The 50,000-tonne reduction is due to lower yields and higher abandonment rates resulting from the drought that gripped much of Saskatchewan and Alberta.
Bean and chickpea numbers also dropped slightly, while pea production was steady at an estimated 2.4 million tonnes.
Grower groups feel the new numbers more accurately reflect the size of this year’s crop.
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“I think it’s more reasonable with respect to estimates,” said Garth Patterson, executive director of Saskatchewan Pulse Growers Association.
He said there has already been some upward price movement with peas and the report should stimulate the same response for lentils.
“It will probably shake out a little more by class. My hunch is we’ll see some stability in reds and large greens but some downward movement in the other greens,” said Patterson.
Agriculture Canada special crops analyst Stan Skrypetz expects the average price of lentils to increase slightly, driven mainly by higher prices for large green varieties.
Patterson thinks the lentil number hasn’t stopped falling. He said 67 percent of the 2000-01 lentil crop was grown in the part of Saskatchewan affected most by this year’s drought.
“Many of those growers are getting 50 percent or less of their yields, so these lentil numbers may be adjusted downward yet,” he said.
“On the lentil one it’s not over yet on pricing, I don’t think.”
