For a second week the Grain Commission reported no bulk terminal exports of lentils. In each of the past five years except 2021-22, some lentils left in this week. For the season, bulk terminal exports are now 31 per cent behind last year and below the five-year average. Lentils shipped in containers are not counted in these figures. 1 2 3
That gap matters for how the season is read. Exports from licensed facilities, which include containers, came to 403,900 tonnes over August and September, more than in the same two months of any of the three years before, with India the largest buyer. Bulk terminal exports over roughly the same weeks were lower than a year earlier, so more of this season's trade moved in containers. The bulk shortfall therefore does not show that overseas buying is weak. 4 1
With no bulk vessels loading, little moved toward the ports. Port stocks rose 4,700 tonnes, about what the ports received. Farmers delivered 25,000 tonnes to country elevators and elevators shipped 19,500, both less than in this week of four of the past five years. Elevator stocks rose by 5,200 tonnes, which that gap explains. They are still 12 per cent below average in tonnes, but at the slow recent pace of shipments they cover 7.8 weeks against a usual 3.7. 3 5
Prices were quiet. Lentils have no futures market, and these are published provincial quotes, not elevator bids. Saskatchewan's quotes for every lentil class on 4 November were unchanged from the week before, so last week's split, with red lentils down and green lentils up, held. In Alberta on 6 November, the red lentil quote eased C$5.51 a tonne and the Eston small green quote C$11.02. No market report in the week explained lentil prices. 6 7
The bulk flows give buyers no reason to compete harder for farm deliveries, and green lentil quotes have stopped rising. When bulk vessels return, they would draw first on elevator stocks that now cover more weeks than usual. A longer pause would leave the bulk export season further behind last year and the elevators fuller. 5 1