Hursh Consulting & Communications Inc.

Alberta farmers are finally growing some lentils. The numbers are contained in the Saskatchewan Ministry of Agriculture’s Specialty Crop Report which has just been published. In 2010, Alberta had 140,000 acres of lentils, up from only 45,000 acres in 2009. In the years previous to 2009, the stats show virtually no lentils in Alberta. At 140,000 acres, Alberta had only 4 per cent of the national total, with the rest in Saskatchewan. Yields were a bit better in Alberta, so they accounted for roughly 5.5 per cent of total production. In mustard, Alberta is a more significant player accounting for 28 per cent of last year’s production with the other 72 per cent coming out of Saskatchewan. On canaryseed, there’s no measurable amount in Alberta, but Manitoba grows some. The stats show Manitoba had about 8 per cent of the country’s canaryseed production last year, with the other 92 per cent coming from Saskatchewan. Field peas are a crop grown in all three Prairie Provinces. Manitoba had just over 2 per cent of the total production. Alberta had just over 26 per cent, with Saskatchewan producing just over 71 per cent of all the peas. I’m Kevin Hursh.