MarketsFarm — With harvest activity beginning across most of the Prairies, pulse prices are experiencing typical harvest pressure.
About 20 per cent of the lentil crop has been harvested in Saskatchewan, according to the province’s crop report from Thursday.
The west-central region lagged furthest behind the province’s average rate, with just seven per cent of the lentil crop in the bin. In southwestern Saskatchewan, 25 per cent of lentils have been harvested.
Dale McManus, a broker with Johnston Grains at Welwyn, Sask., said prices have been coming down, which is normal for this time of year.
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Earlier in the summer, large green lentils were between 30 and 32 cents/lb. Now, they’ve dropped to around 27-29 cents/lb. Red lentils followed a similar trajectory and are currently around 23.5-24 cents/ls.
As the harvest progresses across the province, market participants will be watching for weather conditions that could impact lentil grades.
“The crops are cured enough that they won’t be damaged by the heat,” McManus said.
“But they will be damaged if it’s too hot and then starts to storm or hail.”
— Marlo Glass reports for MarketsFarm from Winnipeg.
