Pea, Lentil and Chickpea Harvest a Success

 Overall this year’s pea, lentil and chickpea harvest went well -- both across the country as well as here in the Pacific Northwest. U.S.A. Dry Pea and Lentil Council CEO Tim McGreevy says that nationally the pea harvest went well with more acreage of green peas and says as far as yields.

McGreevy: “Really outstanding, above average yields -- over 2,000 pounds per acre. We did have some rains kind of in the second week of harvest that knocked down the quality a little -- a little more bleach in our green peas than we normally have. But certainly the yields were outstanding.”

Nationally lentil production was down this year due to market forces at planting time however, McGreevy says.

McGreevy: “But again the yields were well above our 10-year average. Motsly averaging in the 1700 pound range - which is very strong.”

Over 80 percent of the nation’s chickpeas are raised in the Pacific Northwest. McGreevy shares harvest results for chickpeas

McGreevy: “We had increased acreage this year. Large chickpeas of 158,000 acres. Small chickpeas we were down a little bit, but not too much at 50,000. So overall we had 208,000 acres chickpeas and they averaged a little over 1,500 pounds per acre.”