MarketsFarm — Yields and crop conditions from this year’s pulse harvest in Saskatchewan largely varied by location, according to SaskPulse executive director Carl Potts.
“Generally on the east side of the province and some areas of the south, some pretty good yields. And then in the west-central, southwest regions, some yields that were quite low. It’s quite a varied outcome,” Potts said.
“Overall, I think what we’re expecting is to have overall pulse yields certainly less than last year and lower than the five-year average. But better than the 2021 drought year.”
Read Also
U.S. again halts cattle imports from Mexico over flesh-eating screwworms
The flesh-eating livestock pest New World screwworm has advanced closer to the U.S. border with Mexico, the U.S. Department of Agriculture said, prompting Washington to block imports of Mexican cattle just days after it allowed them to resume at a port of entry in Arizona.
He estimated pea and lentil yields to be 25 per cent lower than 2019-20 and 2020-21 and 12 to 13 per cent lower than 2022-23. Due to being grown in drier areas in the province, lentil and chickpea yields fared worse than those for dry peas and faba beans. However, the news wasn’t all bad.
“From an overall perspective, harvest started earlier than normal this year and progressed fairly well. We have good harvest weather for the most part and as a result, we’re expecting good quality overall,” Potts said.
The province’s pulse export program is anticipated to be smaller than normal for this marketing year, according to Potts. However, this could mean firmer prices for Saskatchewan pulses while international demand stays strong.
“Any forecasts that I’ve seen have indicated tight carryout at the end of the current marketing year. So I expect the export program will go as strong as it can, given the supply limitations we might have this year.”
— Adam Peleshaty reports for MarketsFarm from Stonewall, Man.
