Paris | Reuters — French agricultural co-operative Limagrain on Tuesday said it is launching a new legumes business that aims to deliver plant-based food products from next year, betting on the fast-growing plant protein sector and a trend towards eating less red meat. Many large agricultural companies, including Archer Daniels Midland, Cargill and France’s Roquette […] Read more

Limagrain to launch plant-based protein food next year

Pulse weekly outlook: India pulse estimates improve
MarketsFarm — Conditions are still not looking good for India’s kharif (summer) production, and in particular for pulse crops. Excessive monsoon rains, followed by above-average post-monsoon rains, have hurt production, according to a report. The excessive rains resulted in flooding in 13 states in India and the National Bulk Handling Corp. (NBHC) estimated Monday that […] Read more

Pulse weekly outlook: Early snow hurts edible bean prospects
MarketsFarm — An early snow storm hit key edible bean growing regions of Manitoba and the northern U.S. hard, with a large portion of the crop in the region now facing an uncertain future. “It is unprecedented what’s happened at this point,” said Tim Courneya, executive vice-president of the Northarvest Bean Growers Association, which represents […] Read more

Ontario to host global test for McDonald’s pulseburger
The biggest quick-service dining chain on the planet is set to use southwestern Ontario as the global test market for its first foray into Beyond Meat. McDonald’s announced Thursday it will run a 12-week test for a plant-based burger it calls the “P.L.T.” exclusively at 28 restaurants in the region starting Monday. “This test allows […] Read more

Pulse weekly outlook: Opportunities ahead for dry beans
MarketsFarm — Ongoing trade wars between the United States, Europe, and China may open the door to new markets for Canadian edible beans. According to reports, the European Union is bracing for tariffs from the U.S. on billions of euros worth of European goods, adding to the litany of other global trade wars. If trade […] Read more

Pulse weekly outlook: Most Canadian pulse acres to decline
Corrected, May 1 — MarketsFarm — Canadian farmers have been projected to plant fewer acres of pulses, according to Statistics Canada. “Keeping in mind this is the seeding intentions report based on a survey of growers from the beginning of March. It’s as current as the day it was collected,” said Carl Potts, executive director […] Read more

Pulse weekly outlook: Edible beans on move
MarketsFarm — Following a lengthy 2018 harvest, Manitoba’s edible bean farmers are optimistic about the 2019 growing season. According to an outlook report published in late December by Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, pulse farmers are expected to plant approximately the same amount of acreage as seen in 2018. However, after strong yields in 2018, Manitoba […] Read more

Pulse weekly outlook: U.S. beans seen on rise for 2019
CNS Canada –– The acreage shift that played out between chickpeas and dry edible beans this year will shift again next year, Brian Clancey of marketing agency Stat Publishing predicts. Several factors lead him to that conclusion, he said. Canadian growers ship large numbers of beans and chickpeas to the U.S., and the production and […] Read more

Pulse weekly outlook: Manitoba bean quality looks good
CNS Canada — The quality of Manitoba’s edible bean crop appears decent, but yields will remain a mystery for a week or two. Dennis Lange, pulse specialist for Manitoba Agriculture at Altona, Man., said most edible beans are maturing about two weeks ahead of normal, but yield estimates will have to wait for more harvest […] Read more

A+W to launch pulseburger next month
Canada’s second-biggest burger chain plans to roll out a new non-meat burger in the Canadian market starting in July. A+W Food Services of Canada on Thursday announced a July 9 release date for what it’s dubbed the Beyond Meat Burger at all its restaurants across the country, in what CEO Susan Senecal called “the fastest […] Read more