Glacier FarmMedia — Lentils and peas will be among those pulse crops facing challenges not only in January, but also for the rest of the 2025/26 marketing year and possibly beyond that, said Marlene Boersch of Mercantile Consulting Venture Inc. in Winnipeg.
‘General malaise’
Lentils, peas and other pulses in Western Canada remained largely unchanged during the holiday season, but Boersch said there’s a “general malaise” that continues to hang over the Canadian pulse market.
One aspect she cited was China’s tariffs on its imports of Canadian peas. Another being the duties Turkey had in place on its lentil imports.
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“Both of those countries, their overall import numbers are actually up over last year, it’s just that our market share is falling for a number of reasons,” Boersch said. “That’s really the crux of the problem.”
Reduced acres likely
Also, there’s an ample supply of green lentils while the situation is not as severe with the reds. She noted that it will take some time to reduce that supply and the carryout for 2025/26 will increase.
“That changes the outlook completely. It changes the willingness to contract and affix prices,” Boersch said, noting that planted pea and lentil acres are likely to decline this spring.
“The other commodities don’t look like shining stars either,” she added.
Lentil, pea prices
Prairie Ag Hotwire reported lentil prices were almost all unchanged for the week ended Jan. 6. The Lairds ranged from 11.5 to 26 cents per pound, delivered depending on the size. Estons were 14 to 24.5 cents/lb. Richleas 9.5 to 22 cents/lb. Crimsons 12 to 23 cents/lb.
Green peas remained in place at C$8.50 to C$10.50 per bushel delivered, but the yellows climbed nine cents at C$6.50 to C$7.46/bu.
