“I don’t know where I am going to get my supply of peas from next season” says Sales Director Paddy Barrett of Askew & Barrett (Pulses) Ltd major processors and one of the leading pulse specialists in the UK.   This is a stark message -  and one repeated throughout the pulse processing industry this spring as indications are that pulse acreage planted will once again fall short of demand.

The UK has a market for 2.25m tonnes of peas and beans to be grown each year.  Following the 2006 harvest, total yield achieved a mere 0.74m tonnes, with 2007 harvest cutting that to 0.43m tonnes. Early indications are that 2008 harvest will see further decline of up to 40% in this sector.
 
“Prices on farm have rallied over the last twelve months in line with price adjustments universally and, coupled with rotational benefits and input savings, pulses should be part of every grower’s rotational plans this spring,” says Howard Jackson of I’Anson Brothers, Masham and current President of the British Edible Pulse Association.  “Prices for micronising peas, feed peas and feed beans are all above £200 per tonne with values for Marrowfats heading towards £300 per tonne for the very best samples.”  
 
It is not as though pulses are the poor relation to other break crops: values and average yield place micronising large blues on par with second wheat performance for harvest 2008 - with the added benefit of breaking the cereal disease cycle, spreading the harvesting workload, fixing Nitrogen thus saving on bought-in fertiliser costs, and all the grass weed control benefits associated with spring drilling.
 
“Localised weather patterns prior to 2007 harvest certainly had an impact on the performance of some spring crops”, added Stuart Cree, Contracts Manager of Downham Market-based BEPA member Ebbage Seeds. But this was by no means universal across the UK and did not just affect spring drillings. In the Cambridgeshire Fen we experienced up to a 2.5t per hectare drop in winter wheat yields and yet some pulse crops still achieved a respectable 3.7tonnes per hectare.”
 
Other regions such as North and East Yorkshire found the weather more favourable.  “Our seed crop of the new large blue pea variety PARIS, grown near Harrogate yielded an average of 4.6t/ha with one 14 ha field achieving over 5t/ha,” Mr Cree continued.  “Taken as an average, the grower has achieved a gross output of over £900 per hectare before we add his seed premium.  We can hardly call peas a marginal crop under these circumstances.  For 2008 we see peas as a major cropping opportunity for growers and are happy to guarantee a minimum ex farm price of £200/tonne for PARIS commercial production.”
 
Spring beans have also performed well across the region with one Yorkshire merchant reporting a delivery of FUEGO spring beans from a grower in Boroughbridge yielding 6.8 tonnes per hectare. Coupled with an ex farm price of £225/t the grower has achieved a gross output of over £1500 per hectare on this crop.
 
“The current shortage of pulse tonnage for this harvest 2008 and beyond is a golden opportunity for farmers to maximise returns across their whole arable rotation.  Regardless of the many rotational benefits pulses offer, BEPA trade members can assure a strong, robust market will exist and this opportunity ought to be exploited where spring decisions are yet to be made,” concluded Mr Cree.

For more information, contact Stuart Cree on 07968 309123 / 01354 610661 at British Edible Pulse Association (BEPA)

Further information:
 
1.  The British Edible Pulse Association is made up of over 40 pulse merchants, breeders processors and exporters operating within the UK. Farmers may contact any BEPA member via www.bepa.co.uk 

2.  British Edible Pulse Association is offering £1000 to the charity of their choice for the farmer achieving the highest gross output from any pulse crop sold ex. Harvest 2007.
 
3.  Further details available on the BEPA website at www.bepa.co.uk