RE:Indian farmer newsAnd... there wouldn't be a "bottom line" without the company Murad continues to build.
If you look at a chart going back 4 years you will see we are still in a left to right ascent. If you have trouble seeing it try a weekly chart... it's clear to see.
Below is a letter to readers in PulsePoint magazine from Carl Potts, Executive Director of Saskatchewan Pulse Growers.
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR’S MESSAGE The story of demand for 2016 pulses
In the late fall, growers’ focus is normally on marketing the recently produced crop and planning for the next production year. However in 2016, challenging and frustrating fall weather has delayed the completion of the harvest in many areas of the province. Although most the peas and lentils are harvested, only 25 per cent of the chickpea crop was harvested by the end of October. Combined with excess moisture during the growing season in some areas of Saskatchewan, yields and quality of pulses are quite variable this year. However, due to strong increases in pulse crop seeded area in 2016, Saskatchewan has recorded its largest pulse crop harvest ever, with total production likely to exceed five million tonnes when the final estimates come in. Global demand for Saskatchewan pulse crops still remains strong despite weather events. Our largest market, India, is increasing pulse production after successive years of reduced production. Much like in Saskatchewan, Indian growers have responded to market signals by planting more pulses. Yields in India are returning to longer term averages, which will reduce import demand to levels we have seen prior to the last two years. To fill the gap in demand typically taken by India, other pulse importing markets like Asia, the Middle East, and North and South America continues to grow. Over the last number of years, there has been a considerable amount of effort put into increasing the awareness of lentils and more recently the entire category of pulses leading up to, and during, the 2016 International Year of Pulses. Consumers in North America have an increased awareness of pulses and we can see that pulse consumption is rising. Food companies continue to launch food products containing pulses, primarily to improve the nutritional profile of those food products. As the demand increases for pulses in food products, we see greater opportunities for Saskatchewan growers. We are excited about the future for pulses in this province. We will need to feed more than nine billion people by 2050 and plant-based protein will need to play an even larger role than it is today. As one of the most competitive suppliers of pulses to hungry global markets, Saskatchewan growers are well positioned to capitalize on this increased demand. However, it is critical to continue to make investments to boost productivity through variety development and agronomy research. That is why we have doubled support for pulse crop breeding at the University of Saskatchewan and renewed increased investments in weed management and agronomy research. With the lessons learned from 2016 fresh in our minds, and as we close out the International Year of Pulses, we wish everyone success as they plan for their 2017 growing season.