Pulse Days set for Jan. 12-13 in Saskatoon

Dec. 9, 2008, SASKATOON – Pulse Days 2009 will be held Jan. 12-13, 2009, in Saskatoon, Sask. This year’s theme is "Celebrating 25 Years."

“The conference is about celebrating the growth and success of the Saskatchewan pulse industry in the last 25 years,” says Amanda Olekson, communications manager for the Saskatchewan Pulse Growers (SPG).

Conference topics include a global perspective of the past, present and future of the Saskatchewan pulse industry, an update from Pulse Canada, an international outlook of the Indian mega-market and the opportunities for Canadian pulses, SPG-funded research projects and market outlook panels.

“We wanted to include even more marketing information, so we are dedicating the entire afternoon to market outlooks,” Olekson says. “We will have three moderated market outlook question and answer panels on chickpeas, peas and lentils.”

The conference will run on Tuesday, Jan. 13, starting at 7 a.m. with free breakfast. Things will kick off on Monday evening with the Opening Reception and Poster Session at Prairieland Park.

“Traditionally more than 1,000 producers attend,” Olekson says, “and as usual, people have already begun securing their spots. The best way to guarantee your first choice of location is to register early. To accommodate the large numbers, we will continue to offer the option of attending at either Prairieland Park (in conjunction with the Western Canadian Crop Production Show) or the Saskatoon Inn (where the speakers will present live).”

Early Registration: Saskatchewan residents can save $20 by registering before Friday, Dec. 19, 2008. For residents outside of Saskatchewan, registration is $40.

To register, visit the SPG website at www.saskpulse.com and register online or download a form and fax it to us at (306) 668-5557. You can also call the Pulse Days Registration Hotline at (306) 668-9988 during office hours (8 a.m.-4:30 p.m.), Monday to Friday. A full conference agenda can be found on the SPG website.