MarketsFarm — Among the many revisions Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada made to its August supply and demand report on Friday were reductions in pulse output for 2023-24.
Most of Canada’s pulses are grown on the Prairies, and in particular southern Alberta and western Saskatchewan, which happen to be the driest parts of the region, leading to declines in production this year along with reduced acres.
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In AAFC’s latest outlook for principal field crops, dry pea production was down 200,000 tonnes at 2.7 million, and a fair bit less than the 3.42 million harvested in 2022-23. Exports for 2023-24 were reduced by the same amount at 2.2 million tonnes while domestic usage was held at 705,000. Ending stocks were nudged up by 50,000 tonnes at 275,000.
Lentils were also lowered, from 2.1 million tonnes in July to now 1.8 million. In 2022-23, lentil production reached 2.3 million tonnes. Exports for 2023-24 hold at 330,000 tonnes, domestic usage stays at 250,000, with ending stocks remaining at 125,000.
Dry bean production lost 20,000 tonnes at 300,000, going from more than the 313,000 tonnes combined in 2022-23 to less than that amount. Exports and domestic usage for 2023-24 were held at 330,000 and 75,000 tonnes respectively. Ending stocks were cut from 70,000 tonnes to now 50,000.
The production of chickpeas was reduced by 25,000 tonnes at 170,000, but that’s still better than the 128,000 in 2022-23. Exports for 2023-24 remained at 145,000. Domestic usage increased by 15,000 tonnes at 70,000, but ending stocks were halved at 25,000.
Pulse prices across the Prairies nudged up following the AAFC report. Prairie Ag Hotwire said lentils across Western Canada gained seven-10ths to two cents per pound and chickpeas were up 0.5-1.8 cents/lb. Beans rose 0.3-0.5 cent/lb. except for navy beans which lost 1.2 cents.
Green peas were up 50 cents per bushel while yellows were unchanged. Feed prices were mixed as well, with a gain of 25 cents in Manitoba to a drop of 40 cents in Saskatchewan.
— Glen Hallick reports for MarketsFarm from Winnipeg.
