The battle for acres is set to play out in just over three months. Crop rotation plays a key part of decision making on final acres for any crop, but perhaps most of all for pulses, as aphanomyces and root rot risk factor prominently in pea and lentil decisions.
But price factors too, and Jon Driedger, analyst with Leftfield Commodity Research, says there are some pulse outlooks that are rosier than others heading into the 2024 growing season.
Pulse acres are set to increase, Driedger says, as yellow peas had a bump in export sales creating some momentum and green pea prices are attractive right now. Pulses don’t mind dry conditions as much as some other crops, such as canola or wheat, so a continued dry bias may actually encourage more pulse acres.
Green lentil prices are also strong, which could result in about a five per cent acreage increase over 2023, Driedger says.
