Features Agronomy Pulses
Marketing resource book for pulse and specialty crops

Feb. 26, 2013 - Pulse and specialty crop producers have a comprehensive new book to help them with their marketing strategies. The 20-Month Year: The Farmer's Perspective has been compiled by Brian Clancey of STAT Publishing.

Clancey's new book covers all the main classes of lentils and beans as well as peas, chickpeas, three types of mustard, and birdseed. While Canada is the world's largest exporter of lentils, field peas, mustard and canaryseed, the United States is a bigger dry edible bean exporter than Canada and Australia is the largest chickpea exporter. Growers from all three nations will find value in the book.

"North American marketing decisions for a particular crop actually occur over a 20-month time frame starting in December as producers begin to finalize their upcoming spring seeding decisions," says Clancey. "That's where the title for the book came from."

The top 10 exporters and importers for each crop are delineated as well as the important quality factors and any market quirks. However, the strength of the 216-page publication comes from the dozens of charts showing historical prices and off-farm movement for each specific crop.

"Movement heat maps will help producers understand the times when demand is likely to peak," explains Clancey. "Price heat maps show the rhythm that exists within and between marketing years."

The 20-Month Year: The Farmer's Perspective can be ordered from the website STAT Publishing created for the book. Just go to www.20monthyear.com. The table of contents and sample pages are available for viewing.

February 26, 2013  By News Release