07/07/05 Pulse acreage up

Farm and Ranch July 7, 2005 The U.S. Dry Pea and Lentil Council says acres planted to pulse crops in the U.S. are up this year compared to 2004. The Council says dry green pea plantings are up 100-thousand acres, yellow peas up 280-thousand, lentil seedings up almost 120-thousand acres and chickpea plantings increased almost 60-thousand acres. Todd Scholz, director of research and information for the Council, says the Midwest is the region which again saw large increases in plantings of peas and lentils. Scholz: "The growers in the Midwest have found that pulse crops fit very well with their rotations. They are converting to direct seed and they are looking for a crop to plant in their rotation and pulse crops are pretty good. So the increase is pretty significant in the Midwest. In the Pacific Northwest the acreage changes are mostly a shift in acreage. There is kind of a change from dry peas to chickpeas that are showing a better market price this year." Canada is a major competitor to the U.S. in pulse crops and Scholz says the Canadians have backed off from chickpeas because of disease problems.. As for the pulse acreage expansion in the Midwest, Scholz says it's hard to say how much longer that will continue. Scholz: "Montana still has some room for expansion I think and North Dakota is still expecting some over the next couple of years anyway." Scholz says the pulse crops in the Pacific Northwest are in good condition. I'm Bob Hoff and that's the Northwest Farm and Ranch Report on the Northwest Ag Information Network.