MUMBAI (Commoditiescontrol) - Canada's lentil (masoor) production during 2018-19 is estimated to decline by 13% to 2.2 million tonnes (Mt) due to lower harvested area despite higher yield, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC) said in October release.
However, the production of large green lentils is forecast to be higher than last year at 0.7 Mt while the production of red lentils is expected to be lower than last year at 1.2 Mt. Production of the other remaining lentil types is expected to be higher than last year at nearly 0.3 Mt.
Supply, however, is expected to increase by 8% due to large carry-in stocks. Exports are expected to rise to 1.9 Mt, with Turkey, the United Arab Emirates, and the EU expected to remain the top three export markets.
Domestic use is forecast to be the same as last year. Carry-out stocks are forecast to be lower than the previous year. The overall average price is forecast to be lower than 2017-18. Harvest reports suggest a much higher No.1 and No.2 grade distribution than in 2017-18. Large green lentil prices are forecast to have a smaller premium over red lentil prices than last year.
In the US, the area seeded to lentils for 2018-19 is forecast by the USDA at below 0.8 million acres, down almost 30% from 2017-18 due to lower area seeded in Montana. With normal yields and lower abandonment, 2018-19 US lentil production is therefore forecast by USDA to rise to nearly 0.4 Mt, 18% higher than in 2017-18.
US lentil exports are about 0.2 Mt annually with the main markets continuing to be the EU, South America and the Middle East.
(By Commoditiescontrol Bureau; +91-22-40015533)