What About Field Peas:

I'm getting some producer feed back about field peas. Two of my medium sized producers have called pricing Tag-Team. And a mega-farm called to double there granular Tag-Team order to cover a full section. This activity should put our producers/customers field pea numbers at around 1500 ac. (the low end of normal)

Random thoughts on field peas (and crop plans in general):

• No nitrogen costs, this is kind of a no brainer, but at $600 per tonne for urea producers are thinking twice about what they grow
• Peas are great in a rotation, they aren't canola and next year they give back a lot of nitrogen. With growers in our area tightening rotations to much land goes canola-cereal-canola. Lots of producers mention this, but feel kind of tied into pushing rotations
• Peas aren't flax. Some concern about rotation. It is really hard to make any money on flax till they are worth $8 bu. Ever then flax is hard on the land and leaves nasty straw to deal with
• You can hit a "home run" with field peas. I've had growers reach in the low 70 bu with peas. If you can get over $4.00 bu that is good money
• Peas move quick off the combine. Usually there is min. storage time and even direct delivers of production. I know one of my producers just loads up semi after semi and they go direct to the buyer (and hopefully a check at the end of the month)
• Chemical rotations are good. With mostly (well really all of them) BASF herbicides growers have a good tool box to control weeds. The only things that can give you problems are Canada thistle and Kochia. You have lots of Group two products and a "den" group 1 for changing up your herbicide rotations

http://www.statpub.com/stat/prices/spotbid.html A link to recent cash prices for peas

http://www.saskpulse.com/media/pdfs/How_To_Sell_Your_Pulses.pdf A marketing presentation from this years Pulse Days. Pretty good from my quick skim

Enjoy. Depending on what kind of price you can get field peas may be a good fit for 2007

The bus station just called I have freight. Gotta go!