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Abstract
Marketing strategies are analyzed for field pea and lentil producers in the Northern Plains. Seasonal price patterns were derived from the 1999-2003 marketing years. Correlations indicate that corn futures may provide risk reduction for cross-hedging pea prices. Relationships were too weak to consider a cross-hedge for lentils. Combining a pre-harvest strategy with a marketing loan strategy offered the best total net price for the pea crop in 2004. No one marketing loan strategy performed best during the two crop years examined and no one month stood out as the best time for selling field peas and lentils. Earlier generally was better than later for selling the 2004 crop, whereas the middle of the marketing year worked best for the 2003 crop.