23 Follow us on @PrairieFarming Better Farming | July/August 2024 chickpeas. English points out that Canadian pulse production has roughly doubled in the last 20 years. StatCan shows 2003 production at 2.8 million tonnes vs. 4.8 million in 2023. More recent figures are even less flattering. Dry peas alone reached 4.8 million tonnes in 2016, a record year. That same year, lentil production also hit all-time highs at 3.2 million tonnes. Meanwhile, production of beans (all dry, white and coloured) peaked in 2020 at 489,500 tonnes. The only other time output cracked 400,000 was in 2002. Chickpea production topped out back in 2001 when it hit 455,000 tonnes. It has not hit those highs again, and eclipsed 300,000 only once since, back in 2018. Export demand Pulses that Canadian farmers produce in a given year are mostly shipped abroad. Canada is the world’s largest exporter of pulses, with roughly 85 per cent of its production exported. But that comes with some challenges. “There is more geopolitical risk for pulses than other crops, given our reliance on exports versus domestic demand,” explains Brian Voth, president of IntelliFARM. English, however, sees new use market opportunities arising. He cites a report from U.K. market intelligence firm Mintel, which highlights greater interest from Indian consumers for dairy alternative products, which represents the packaged food category that accounts for the largest volume use of pea protein. India, however, is a sore spot for Canada’s pulse sector. Once representing over 40 per cent of Canadian yellow pea and red lentil exports in 2016, India stopped being a reliable go-to market following tariffs and other restrictions in 2017 and 2018. It would take almost six years before Canada shipped peas to India tariff-free. Voth says that India dropping its tariff earlier this year was an unexpected boost to demand. “But, as of right now, that does not go into new crop, so that is up in the air again,” he says. Currently, Canada’s top markets for its peas are China, Bangladesh, and the U.S. But Canada faces stiff competition from Australia, which has a huge logistical advantage into the Asian and Indian markets, Voth says. Besides Australia, Canada also faces greater competition in global export markets from Russia and Kazakhstan, notes LeftField Commodity Research’s Jonathon Driedger. “So, while global consumption may see steady increases, the extent to which Canada’s potential exports may also increase might not happen in a FILTRATION YOU CAN TRUST. WIX® heavy-duty filters are built to withstand the rigorous demands of the ag industry. By extending service intervals and reducing downtime, the right filters can increase your production and yield. WIX filters are tested and trusted—even in the harshest conditions. WIX-003083-04_2024 Trade Media HD_Agriculture_V4.indd 1 4/10/24 3:33 PM Update on Pulses
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