By Commodity News Service Canada
June 27 (CNS Canada) – Five Manitoba commodity groups exploring a merger have hired the consulting firm Synthesis Agri-Food Network.
Manitoba Pulse and Soybean Growers, Manitoba Corn Growers Association, Manitoba Flax Growers Association, National Sunflower Association of Canada and Manitoba Wheat and Barley Association all previously signed a memorandum of understanding to begin exploring a merger.
Synthesis Agri-Food Network is based in Ontario.
According to Statistics Canada data from the Census of Agriculture, acreages of most pulse crops have increased in the latest data from 2016 compared to the previous census five years ago. Nationwide, dry field peas were grown on 4.291 million acres in 2016, (compared to 2.412 acres in 2011). National chickpea acreage was 195,596 in 2016 (99,480 in 2011), lentils were 5.585 million acres in 2016 (2.579 million in 2011), dry white bean acreage was 102,559 in 2016 (92,718 in 2011) and other dry bean acreage was 343,498 acres in 2016 (148,694 in 2011).
Saskatchewan led in lentil and chickpea acreage by a wide margin with 174,649 acres of chickpeas in 2016 (86,477 in 2011), and 5.106 million acres of lentils (2.477 million acres in 2011).
Updated acreage data for 2017 will be released on June 29.
