???????Canadian dry pea production will bounce back in a big way this year, with lentil output also expected higher.
Statistics Canada first crop production report for the 2019 growing season on Wednesday pegged this year’s national dry pea crop at 4.58 million tonnes, up about 1 million tonnes or 26% from the 2018 crop of 3.58 million. If accurate, it would be the biggest Canadian pea crop since farmers harvested 4.83 million tonnes in 2016.
At an estimated 39.1 bu/acre, the average dry pea yield is up from 37.2 bu a year earlier, although the bigger impact on production is from the larger harvested area: up more than 700,000 acres from last year to 4.25 million acres – the most on record.
As for lentils, StatsCan sees this year’s crop at 2.38 million tonnes, up almost 14% from a year earlier but still down from 2.55 million in 2017. All of the increase in production can be attributed to a higher expected yield, up to 1,416 lbs/acre from 1,245 lbs last year. At 3.7 million acres, projected lentil harvested area is little changed from 2018.
Meanwhile, with the exception of flax, production levels for other Canadian pulse and special crops are lower compared to a year earlier.
At just 69,900 tonnes, estimated canryseed output is down a whopping 40.6% from last year, as the average expected yield is down to 1,077 lbs/acre from 1,241 lbs in 2018 and harvested area falls to 143,100 acres from 209,300. If accurate, it would be the smallest Canadian canaryseed crop since 1988 when only 59,000 tonnes were binned.
This year’s chickpea crop is pegged at 251,300 tonnes, a drop of 60,000 tonnes or more than 19% from the big 2018 crop of 311,300 tonnes. At 1,451 lbs/acre, the average expected chickpea yield is down from 1,579 lbs the previous year, while harvested area declines to 381,900 acres from 434,800.
Mustard production is seen falling about 10% this year to 156,100 tonnes. At 886 lbs/acre, the average estimated yield is up from 786 lbs a year earlier, but harvested area is down hard at 388,600 acres from 487,300 in 2018.
The 2019 sunflower crop is pegged at 49,600 tonnes, down from 57,300 last year. Although the average sunflower yield is forecast at the highest on record at 2,024 lbs/acre, up from 1,902 lbs a year earlier, harvested area is estimated at only 54,000 acres versus 66,500 in 2018.
Flax production for 2019 is estimated at 558,200 tonnes, up 13.3% from a year earlier as both the average yield and harvested area are higher. This year’s average yield is seen at 24.2 bu/acre, up from 23 bu last year, while harvested area is estimated at 908,800 acres versus 844,500 a year ago.
Source : Syngenta