Pulse, Special Crops Down from Last Month

Canadian pulse and special crop production estimates have eroded further amid this year’s Prairie drought.

Statistics Canada’s updated crop production report on Tuesday trimmed dry pea and lentil production from August, with expected lentil output now pegged at 1.802 million tonnes, down slightly from 1.97 million in August and 2.86 million in 2020. Dry pea production was lowered to 2.52 million tonnes from 2.62 million last month and 4.59 million a year ago.

The decline in the production estimates can be attributed to a further reduction in the average yield, with this year’s lentil yield now seen at 938 lbs/acre, down 92 lbs from the August estimate and 563 lbs below last year. If accurate, it would be the first sub-1,000 lb/acre yield since 2003 when the average came in at 866 lbs.

At 24.9 bu/acre, the average pea yield was dropped 1 bu from the August estimate and is down from 40.5 bu last year – the lowest since 19.5 bu/acre in 2002.

Flax production was trimmed to 378,800 tonnes from 425,500 in August and 578,000 in 2020, as the average expected yield was reduced to 15.1 bu/acre from 16.6 bu last month and 24.8 bu last year.

At 70,900 tonnes, this year’s mustard crop was reduced 8,000 tonnes from August and is now the smallest since 1979. Last year’s crop amounted to 98,000 tonnes.