CNS Canada — India is introducing immediate 30 per cent tariffs on imports of chickpeas and lentils, the country’s government announced Thursday. The import duties follow the 50 per cent tariff on yellow peas India introduced in November, and come as part of ongoing efforts by India to support farmers. “Production of chana (chickpeas) and […] Read more
India imposes duties on chickpeas, lentils
Vancouver port space secured for pulse processor AGT
In need of ready access to West Coast tidewater, Prairie pulse crop processor AGT Food and Ingredients is set to work with the B.C. forestry sector to get it. Regina-based, publicly-traded AGT announced Monday it has reached a long-term terminal services agreement with Fibreco Export Inc., a wood fibre and canola meal exporter majority-owned by […] Read more
Give peas a chance — the future looks bright
Acreage may plummet in the coming year, but the new processing plants are laying the foundation for a surge in production
Reading Time: 5 minutes Here’s some counterintuitive advice: Think about growing peas in 2018. That’s a suggestion from Alan Hall, who has kept a close watch on the pulse sector in his role as ‘new initiatives and project hunter’ with the Alberta Crop Industry Development Fund. As such, Hall is well aware of the recent plunge in pea prices, […] Read more
Lentils back at square one heading into 2018
CNS Canada — Lentil prices in Western Canada have dropped significantly over the past year as India’s policy changes and militant actions elsewhere affected markets, according to traders. Green lentil prices in Western Canada lost anywhere from 20 to 36 cents per pound over the course of 2017, according to Prairie Ag Hotwire. Prices are […] Read more
Pulse levy may be rolled back
Reading Time: < 1 minute Alberta Pulse Growers is considering cutting its checkoff to 0.75 per cent from the current rate of one per cent. If approved by its members at its AGM next month, the service fee levied on sales of pulses would go into effect on Aug. 1 (the start of the next crop year). The one per […] Read more
Persistence pays off in quest to make gin from fabas
Using the beans produced decidedly unappetizing results but fababean flowers yielded a hit for Nisku distillery
Reading Time: 2 minutes Out of failure, you can create something pretty tasty. That’s what the staff at Rig Hand Distillery near Nisku learned when they teamed up with Alberta Pulse Growers to create a fababean-based gin. “We were approached about a year ago by the Alberta Pulse Growers Association,” said Geoff Stewart, owner, president, and distiller with Rig […] Read more
Maple Leaf buys further into ‘meat’ market
One of Canada’s biggest packaged meat companies is further expanding its space on the non-animal protein shelf with a deal for U.S. processor Field Roast Grain Meat. Maple Leaf Foods announced Nov. 30 it will pay US$120 million (C$153.9 million) for the Seattle-based company, which makes and markets premium grain-based “meat” and vegan cheese products. […] Read more
It’s not pretty but it’s not a disaster yet, says top pulse official
India’s pea tariff has roiled markets, but Gordon Bacon urges farmers to wait and see how things play out
Reading Time: 3 minutes Canada’s top pulse official says predictions that India’s bolt-out-of-the-blue tariff could slash Prairie pea acreage by a third are premature. “Things are changing very rapidly right now,” said Gordon Bacon, CEO of Pulse Canada. “India is under a lot of pressure to do something that both provides some price support to their farmers — but acknowledges […] Read more
Canada pans India’s ‘discriminatory treatment’ over pulses
Winnipeg | Reuters — Canada on Wednesday accused India of “discriminatory treatment” against it in a dispute over $1.1 billion worth of Canadian pulse crop exports. Canada normally ships much of the peas, lentils and other protein-rich pulse crops its farmers grow to India, where they are a staple of many diets. But earlier this […] Read more
India pea tariffs part of broader self-sufficiency goal
Winnipeg | CNS Canada — India’s surprise move to impose 50 per cent tariffs on pea imports was a shock to Canadian exporters, but the tariffs were introduced to help India’s own farmers as the country works toward self-sufficiency in pulse production. That’s according to Anurag Tulshan, director of pulse brokerage Esarco Exim Pvt. Ltd. […] Read more
Cyber-Savvy Farmer
