After five years of effort, Chris Chivilo expects to start construction on his pulse-processing plant at Bowden this summer. But during those five years, Roquette has built the world’s largest pea-processing plant in Portage la Prairie, Man. (left), Merit Functional Foods is now commissioning its new facility in Winnipeg, and Verdient Foods (right) is expanding its processing operation at Vanscoy, Sask.

The plant protein ship hasn’t sailed — but time is running out

Manitoba and Saskatchewan are part of the pulse-processing boom — but in Alberta, nothing

Reading Time: 7 minutes For nearly five years, Chris Chivilo has been ready to break ground on a new pulse-fractioning facility near Bowden. And every year, his plans have been pushed to next year. First, the bottom fell out of the pulse market. Then the capital just wasn’t there. Then the pandemic. But you only get so many ‘next […] Read more





(Serts/iStock/Getty Images)

Pulse weekly outlook: Turkey’s record-level lentil imports expected to decrease

Country's domestic acreage expected up in 2021

MarketsFarm — Canadian lentil exports to Turkey reached unprecedented numbers in 2020. According to Statistics Canada data, Turkey imported 534,160 tonnes worth $355 million during the calendar year, making it the second-largest buyer of Canadian lentils behind India. Last year’s total nearly equalled the amount of lentils Canada exported to Turkey over the previous three […] Read more

Darkening in pinto beans has an economic cost for growers and processors, and that spurred researcher Sangeeta Dhaubhadel to hunt for the gene that causes darkening.

Successful hunt for ‘P’ gene to pay dividends for bean growers

Darkening pinto bean problem solved by gene discovery, which benefits breeders and farmers

Reading Time: 2 minutes Can one small gene really affect an entire crop or does it amount to only a hill of beans? It does matter if we’re talking about pinto beans. “Most beans keep the same look after growers harvest and store them,” said Sangeeta Dhaubhadel, a research scientist at the London Research and Development Centre. “With pinto […] Read more


A view from Globeways Canada’s office at Mississauga, Ont., from a 2011 video marking the presentation of the Mississauga Board of Trade’s award for Small Business of the Year. (MBOT video screengrab via YouTube)

Pulse packers’ security covers cash owed to farmers

Sales of Globeways plants in Manitoba, Saskatchewan now approved

More than 50 farmers who were owed money for deliveries to Prairie pulse and special crop processors Canpulse Foods and Global Grain Canada are expected to get what they’re owed, as both companies’ assets move to new ownership. Canpulse, Global Grain Canada and their parent company Globeways Canada went into receivership last Nov. 19, following […] Read more

(ArdentMills.com)

Major flour miller to buy U.S. chickpea processor

Ardent Mills to take up Hinrichs Trading Co.

Major North American flour miller Ardent Mills is expanding its reach into pulse-based ingredients with a deal to buy U.S. chickpea processor Hinrichs Trading Co. The two companies said they “expect the deal will help customers bring innovative products to market to meet growing consumer demand for plant-based and specialty ingredients.” Terms of the deal […] Read more


Alberta pulse pioneer honoured

Alberta pulse pioneer honoured

Reading Time: < 1 minute Craig Shaw is the recipient of the seventh annual Alberta Pulse Industry Innovator Award. The fourth-generation Lacombe-area producer, who retired from farming in 2016, was the inaugural vice-president of Alberta Pulse Growers Commission in 1989, becoming the group’s president a year later. He began growing peas in 1984 (to feed his brother’s hogs) and became […] Read more

(Canest-transit.ca)

Push on to prevent strike at Port of Montreal

A work stoppage that could start March 20 would disrupt containerized grain exports

Ottawa needs to act now to prevent a strike March 20 that would stop containerized grain from being exported from the Port of Montreal, says Jeff English, vice-president of marketing and communications at Pulse Canada. “This is something we can see off in the distance, but we are going to be there before you know […] Read more