Pulse workshop offers producers a chance to expand horizons

Source: Saskatchewan Agriculture and Food

The upcoming Regional Pulse Development Workshops are the place to be for any producers currently growing pulse crops, or those considering branching into the market.

The workshops are being held in three locations – Swift Current on January 30, Moose Jaw on January 31, and Weyburn on February 1.

Saskatchewan Pulse Growers (SPG) Communications Manager Erin Athmer says the conferences are scheduled for the southern part of the province because that’s where the greatest interest has been in the pulse workshops, as they provide information for those producers who live further away from Saskatoon, where Pulse Days are held during Crop Production Week.

According to Athmer, the three main pulse crops produced in Saskatchewan are peas, lentils and chickpeas, with dry beans and faba beans also gaining ground.

Athmer says the advantages pulse crops offer should interest all Saskatchewan producers.

“Pulses should be included in every farmer’s rotation, because they fix their own nitrogen,” she said. “As a result, when you have pulses in your rotation, your fertilizer requirements are reduced – and nitrogen costs have been going up and up. There are also many great environmental benefits to growing pulse crops. So all in all, they offer a fantastic alternative for producers to consider.”

Athmer says the regional workshops offer “a little bit of everything” for producers currently growing pulse crops or those thinking about getting into the industry. There are sessions on market outlook, new herbicide and pesticide registrations, new pulse crop varieties, pulse diseases, agronomy research results, and global drivers impacting Saskatchewan agriculture.

“Our general theme for these seminars focuses on increasing profitability for our farmers,” Athmer noted. “We try to provide them with the latest research findings that are going to help them make the most of pulse market opportunities. We try to give them the information and the tools they need so that they can make the right decisions for their operations.”

The program also features a session entitled “Your Check-Off Dollars at Work,” where SPG directors and staff talk about projects and initiatives the group is working on, and seek feedback from the producers in attendance.

Athmer says that most of the presenters featured at the workshops come from within the province, so that Saskatchewan producers get to hear about research and market perspectives that are most relevant to their operations. This is possible because of the wide range of experts and specialists located in the province with Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, Saskatchewan Agriculture and Food, and the University of Saskatchewan.

“We have sponsors that attend the workshops, as well,” Athmer added. “The sponsors have trade show booths at each location, so it’s a chance for producers to spend some time getting additional information.”

Registration for the workshops is $15 per person, including lunch and all coffee breaks. “We know it’s been a tight year for producers, so we’ve kept the fee the same as last year,” Athmer said. “Given the amount of information being offered, I think it’s a deal that producers will find hard to beat!”

Although registration can be handled at the door, producers are kindly asked to pre-register before January 26 by calling the Saskatchewan Agriculture and Food Agriculture Knowledge Centre at 1-866-457-2377.

More details on the Regional Pulse Development Workshops can be obtained on the SPG website at www.saskpulse.com, or by calling the association at (306) 668-5556.

For more information, contact:

Erin Athmer, Communications Manager
Saskatchewan Pulse Growers
Phone: (306) 668-9988
E-mail: eathmer@saskpulse.com
Website: www.saskpulse.com