10/25/05 Pulse production tops 10-year average

10/25/05 Pulse production tops 10-year average

Farm and Ranch October 25, 2005 As expected pulse crop production in the U.S. this year is higher than its probably ever been. Todd Schultz, director of research and information for the USA Dry Pea & Lentil Council in Moscow, Idaho, says that's because of increasing acreage in the Midwest for dry peas and lentils and increased chickpea acreage in the Pacific Northwest this year due to good prices. He says while Midwest yields were average to above, in the PNW yields were below average due in part to lack of deep soil moisture. Schultz: "The summer drought seemed to affect the yields significantly. In addition we had disease pressure that came through the aphid. We have an annual aphid influx and this year they seemed to be carry a lot of disease with them. A virus." Schultz says that pulse crop quality in both the Midwest and Northwest was good however. Schultz: "Average quality for the region is Number 1 for both peas and lentils and then chickpeas, the size is maybe a little smaller than normal, but generally it is Number 1." Schultz says Canadian supply sets the world price and so there has been downward pressure on lentils and particularly dry peas while chickpea prices have remained strong. The Council puts U.S. field pea production at just over 668 million tons compared to the average of 242 million. Lentil production is pegged at 219.4 million tons. The average is 134.5 million. And U.S. Chickpea production is at 40.1 million tons compared to an average of 25.1 million. I'm Bob Hoff and that's the Northwest Farm and Ranch Report on the Northwest Ag Information Network.
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