Reading Time: 5 minutes [UPDATED Feb. 26, 2019] Some producers are responding to the market while planning their spring planting decisions. Others are going with tried-and-true rotations. But everyone is watching the weather and geopolitical events. “From a pulse perspective, things have improved a lot since the fall of 2017, when India closed its markets. Prices have risen some, but […] Read more
International politics add to uncertainty for crops in 2019
Canada’s diplomatic spat with China among the factors that may influence demand for canola
Field pea pioneer wins innovator award
Reading Time: 2 minutes A pioneer who helped build the field pea industry in the St. Paul area is this year’s winner of the Alberta Pulse Industry Innovator Award. Kirsty Ross (Piquette) was a provincial district agriculturist in the mid-1980s when she started to look for another option to add to the area’s crops and generate more cash flow […] Read more
Canada, U.S. to challenge India’s pulse price supports
Canada and the U.S. are set to challenge India’s market price supports for certain pulses including chickpeas and lentils. U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer and U.S. Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue on Friday announced that “together with Canada” they’ve submitted a “counter notification” on the matter to the World Trade Organization (WTO) Committee on Agriculture (COA). […] Read more
Pulse weekly outlook: Values steady ahead of road bans, seeding
For pulses so far midwinter there hasn’t been a great deal of movement pricewise, though two factors are seen on the horizon could generate some change: road restrictions and spring seeding. Large green lentils are around 22 cents/lb. picked up at the farm, said Dale McManus of Johnston Grains at Welwyn, Sask., about 145 km […] Read more
AGT privatization gets shareholders’ approval
The privatization of Canadian pulse processor AGT Food and Ingredients is set to move another step forward as company officials take their plan to Ontario’s Superior Court on Monday. The Feb. 11 court date in Toronto comes after AGT shareholders voted Tuesday at a special shareholders’ meeting in favour of privatization, according to a company […] Read more
Pulse weekly outlook: Nothing new in India
Very little has changed for Canadian pulses in terms of exports to India, according to an analyst. Meanwhile, Canadian stocks of dry field peas and lentils are still relatively large, according to Statistics Canada. India in 2017 imposed import duties to protect its domestic pulse industry and is rumoured to be solidifying those duties, according […] Read more
Unregistered peas, lentils to be demoted
Any unregistered varieties of lentils or peas harvested in Canada this fall or later will be graded No. 3 Canada at best. The Canadian Grain Commission on Wednesday announced only registered varieties of peas and lentils will be eligible for the No. 1 Canada grade effective Aug. 1 this year. Deliveries of registered and unregistered […] Read more
Rail now moving fluidly through Vancouver, CN says
Winnipeg | Reuters — Congestion at Port Metro Vancouver, Canada’s busiest port, has been resolved and rail operations are now “fluid,” Canadian National Railway said Friday. Canadian National and rival Canadian Pacific Railway were rationing space on trains travelling in the Vancouver area and prioritized some commodities over others to deal with congestion, causing complaints […] Read more
Pulse weekly outlook: Lentils, peas get new profile as protein source
Health Canada has unveiled its new food guide, which switches the focus from portion sizes to a balanced diet and includes protein from sources like peas and lentils. For the Canadian pulse crop industry, it’s a narrative they’ve been sharing for years. The new Canada’s Food Guide is “also sort of a realization that there […] Read more
Railways ration space as commodity congestion problems worsen
Winnipeg | Reuters — Canada’s two major railways are rationing space on trains traveling to the country’s biggest port and recently prioritized some commodities over others to deal with congestion, the latest indication of their struggle to meet demand from new trade deals. That move prompted Canada’s transport regulator last week to start an investigation […] Read more