Glacier FarmMedia – The year 2023 could be classified as a success for Canada’s pulse markets, with hopes of a repeat for 2024, according to the vice-president of Pulse Canada.
Greg Northey, vice-president of corporate affairs said crop production bounced back in spite of challenging growing conditions in some areas. Chickpeas and edible beans saw increased production in 2023-24 compared to the previous year, while lentil and dry pea production declined.
Despite a smaller crop, lentil demand remained strong last year, especially from India. Pulse Canada received welcome news on Dec. 21 when the Indian government announced it will extend its tariff-free period on lentil exports to the end of March 2025. As of the end of November 2023, Canada exported 355,800 tonnes of lentils to India from licensed facilities during the 2023-24 marketing year-to-date, compared to 142,900 tonnes one year earlier, according to the Canadian Grain Commission.
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Last month, India also temporarily dropped all pea import restrictions until March 2024. The restrictions were in effect since 2018.
“(Those are) really positive signals from a large market,” Northey said. “It should bode well for planting intentions in 2024. So that was good news.”
In addition, 2023-24 Canadian bulk pea exports to China totaled 641,800 tonnes through November, compared to 519,600 at the same time in 2022-23.
“We have to work very hard to maintain that market,” Northey added. “From a market standpoint, our largest (buyers) were quite good and they bode well for 2024, as well.”
The federal government unveiling its new Indo-Pacific strategy to strengthen trade ties also stood out in 2023, as well as the ability for growers to make a profit from pulse crops despite lack of production in some places, according to Northey.
While canola and wheat will take up most of the seeded area in Western Canada, global demand for Canadian lentils and peas are raising prices and could convince growers to devote more acres to them.
“We would expect, at least the projections say right now, that our volume would be higher than this past summer based on what we’re seeing in intentions,” Northey said.
However, there are still obstacles ahead for Canadian pulses. One of them is Australia projecting 1.39 million tonnes for its 2023-24 lentil crop, slightly below the record-breaking 1.69 million in 2022-23.
Pulse Canada is focusing its efforts to Chinese feed buyers to increase pea exports, as well as getting lentils and lentil products into restaurants and food service providers in Europe. Research will also be conducted to present pulses as less carbon-intensive crops for climate-conscious growers.
“Canada remains a leader, but we need to really up our game as far as growing demand (is concerned). Making sure that Canadian product is seen as world-class and then we get it to people,” Northey added. “We need to rebuild efforts on what we do now because the competition is getting fiercer.”
— Adam Peleshaty reports for MarketsFarm from Stonewall, Man.
