“Presently, tariffs on peas sit at 30 per cent for all countries (Canada included) and lentils sit at roughly 11 per cent for all countries,” Jeff English, vice president, public affairs for Pulse Canada, said about India’s current tariffs in an email to Glacier FarmMedia on March 30.

For daily markets updates, visit the Western Producer Markets Desk

For some time, India suspended its duties on pulses as a means to reduce food inflation, as domestic supply wasn’t quite enough to meet demand. However, with growing pressure from Indian farmers, the country’s government reimposed the levies in late 2025.

English said Pulse Canada will be in a better position to comment after the Indian government has said where it’s going with its pulse duties.

Lentil, pea prices

Heading into that, there has been little effect on pulse cash prices across Western Canada. Prairie Ag Hotwire cited a one cent increase on old crop Laird lentils, ranging from 11.5 to 25 cents per pound delivered depending on size. However, the Lairds have fallen 26 to 30 cents/lb. over the last 12 months.

Cash prices for the Eston, Richlea and French varieties were unchanged over the last week. Estons were 13 to 21.8 cents/lb. delivered and Richleas at 8.5 to 21.8 cents/lb. They as well have experienced sharp declines since a year ago, with declines between 19.3 to 31.3 cents/lb.

Crimson lentils stepped back 1.3 to 1.5 cents on the week at 14 to 25.5 cents/lb. delivered. Over the last 12 months, Crimsons are down 4.5 to cents/lb.

As for dry peas, the greens dropped 50 cents on the week at C$7.50 to C$10/bu. delivered, while the yellows were unchanged at C$7.75 to C$8.55/bu. Over the year, the green have dropped C$7.50/bu. and the yellows slipped C$2.45.

CEPA negotiations, trade mission

English also commented on the state of the Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement being negotiated between Canada and India.

“…the launch of negotiations is a positive step towards a new bilateral trade relationship. We look forward to playing an active role during these negotiations to ensure that Canada’s pulse sector can benefit from enhanced trade between our two countries,” he said.

Pulse Canada led a delegation to India from March 1-5 with members of other Canadian pulse organizations. The group met with government officials, traders, millers and other industry members, Pulse Canada said in a March 30 report.

“When we sit down with customers and partners in India, it reinforces that Canada is committed for the long haul. That trust is what helps keep our product moving, even when the market gets complicated,” said Terry Youzwa, chair of Pulse Canada, in the report.

According to the report, the clearest takeaway from the mission was that India will continue to need imported pulses. Industry members said the country typically only has a few months’ worth of pulse supply at a time.

“Our job is to stay connected to the market so we can bring that signal back home. That helps farmers understand where the opportunities are – not just this year, but over the long term,” said Shane Strydhorst, Pulse Canada’s vice chair.

-With files from Geralyn Wichers

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Daryl Domitruk, now a research project manager for MPSG, said pulse and soybean prospects in Manitoba have become “very interesting” due to the war in the Middle East as well as speculation over upcoming weather conditions. He added that it is difficult to determine with certainty how many acres will be planted for certain crops.

“What we’ve been seeing is that soybeans are likely to increase in Manitoba. Dry beans are likely to be down and peas are tougher (to determine). We’re expecting similar acreage (from last year) but that could change with the weather,” Domitruk said.

His assessment largely reflected that of Statistics Canada’s latest principal field crop report released earlier this month. Soybean acres in Manitoba were projected at 1.869 million acres this year, up 12.9 per cent from 2025-26. Edible bean acres were projected at 120,000, down 45.6 per cent, while dry pea acres are expected to decline by 40.5 per cent at 116,700.

For daily markets update, visit the Western Producer Markets Desk

Domitruk attributed the drops in dry bean and pea acres to the markets being well-supplied, which resulted in prices going down and seeded area falling.

With shipments of fertilizer and urea being held up due to the war in Iran, farmers may be inclined to grow soybeans and other crops with low fertilizer needs. Domitruk said there is already additional interest from growers.

“That is the only thing that may accelerate bean or soybean acres than what’s already being projected,” he added. “But we need to pay close attention to crop rotations in Manitoba.”

He added that the amount of snow received in central and southern Manitoba this winter could provide the moisture necessary for good growing conditions. However, pulse planting is still restricted to specific windows of time.

“That window only works if seeding for wheat and canola go according to plan,” Domitruk said.

“It’s really difficult when you have so many different factors in play this year between markets, world events, weather and prices for inputs. Weather-wise, we can only assume things will be OK. Of course, it’s not in our hands and we can just see what we get,” he added.

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Peas

Canada exported 190,480 tonnes of peas in January, which was up by 15 per cent from December, reported StatCan. Year-to-date pea exports of 1.322 million tonnes were running about 200,000 tonnes behind the year-ago pace.

India was the top buyer through six months, accounting for just over 500,000 tonnes of the total pea exports. Bangladesh and China were also major buyers, although Chinese purchases of 104,406 tonnes through January compare with 413,950 tonnes at the same point a year ago.

Lentils

Canadian lentil exports were down 34 per cent in January compared to December, with about 165,342 tonnes moved out of the country. Turkey was the largest destination, accounting for 38 per cent of the total. Crop year-to-date exports of 1.191 million tonnes were down by two per cent on the year.

India was the largest buyer of lentils so far this marketing year, accounting for 30 per cent of the total. Turkey and the United Arab Emirates round out the top three.

Chickpeas

Canada exported about 19,840 tonnes of chickpeas in January, which was down 12 per cent from the previous month. The United States was the largest buyer, accounting for roughly a quarter of the total, followed by Turkey and Pakistan.

Year-to-date chickpea exports at 115,470 tonnes are running 27 per cent ahead of the 2024-25 pace.

The U.S., Turkey and Pakistan were also the top destinations for Canadian chickpeas during the 2025-26 marketing year through January.

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That would be in addition to the planted area recently projected by Statistics Canada, as nitrogen-based fertilizers have seen price hikes of 30 per cent since the start of the current Middle East war. Vessels transiting the narrow Strait of Hormuz to and from the Indian Ocean and the Persian Gulf have come to a stop, which threatens global supplies.

On Feb. 27, nearby urea futures on the Chicago Board of Trade were nearly US$442 per tonne and then jumped to US$590 by March 3. Since then, urea has fluctuated with crude oil prices, closing on March 9 at US$585/tonne.

Pulses add nitrogen

Risula said in a March 10 interview that switching to pulses would make sense due to the nitrogen benefits they provide.

“But it may not be as much as one might think because there are other aspects that could influence farmers’ decisions,” he added.

He said farmers’ crop rotations would be a major consideration as well as concerns over root rot, which has been a problem for pulse crops in Saskatchewan.

Of the choices for additional pulse acres, Risula said the most likely would be lentils. Another selection he said farmers would consider is chickpeas.

“They’re growing it away from the area it was intended for, which was the drier part of southwest Saskatchewan,” he said, noting there are more chickpea varieties available.

StatCan recently forecast a 13.3 per cent increase of planted chickpea acres in Saskatchewan for 2026/27 at 559,100.

Phosphorus issues

As for lentils and peas, Risula cautioned these pulses require good phosphorus levels, which is currently a problem in the province.

“Generally, our soils have been running down in phosphorus levels,” which he said are cyclical.

That would also mean farmers would have to consider the costs to applying phosphorus where levels are lower than normal and its availability. While urea process have risen significantly, those for phosphorous are up only five per cent.

StatCan planted and forecast pulse acres in Saskatchewan

Pulse 2025/26 2026/27

Lentils 3,808,600 3,643,900

Dry Peas 1,773,000 1,479,300

Chickpeas 493,400 559,100

Faba Beans 15,300 29,800

Dry Beans 8,600 n/a

– With files from Sean Pratt, Glacier FarmMedia

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Marlene Boersch of Mercantile Consulting Venture Inc. in Winnipeg said large carryouts and lower prices over the past year will likely mean fewer pulse acres this spring.

“Like for all commodities, prices are down quite a bit. So your return-per-acre calculation will change very significantly,” Boersch said. “On top of that, for both lentils and peas, you will have some very significant carryout.”

Seeded lentil acres were estimated at 4.138 million tonnes, down 5.5 per cent from last year. The total would be the least amount of acres in three years and the second-least since 2020. One reason for the decline would be the 2025-26 carryout of 1.695 million tonnes, more than three times larger than the previous year’s.

Dry pea acres were also set to be lower, dropping by 12.3 per cent at 3.078 million acres. The figure was also the lowest in three years and the second-lowest since 2012. Dry pea plantings will decline in all three Prairie provinces, most notably Saskatchewan where it will lose 16.6 per cent for a total of 1.479 million. The 2025-26 carryout for dry peas was 1.31 million tonnes, nearly triple from the previous year.

The amount of edible bean acres is projected to decline by 30.7 per cent at 295,000 acres, the smallest total since 2015 and one year after the biggest edible bean crop since 2020. Manitoba’s seeded area was estimated at 120,000 tonnes this year, down 44.7 per cent from 2025.

StatCan estimated faba beans acres this spring to total 55,900, 18.8 per cent lower than in 2025 and the fewest acres since 2016. It would also mark the fourth straight time faba bean acres in Canada declined year-by-year.

Chickpeas were the only pulse to buck the trend. Canadians are expected to use 6.3 per cent more land than last year to grow the crop at 575,000 acres. It would be the fifth straight yearly increase for chickpeas and its largest seeded area since 2001. This is despite 2026 ending stocks for chickpeas having more than quadrupled from the year before at 275,000 tonnes.

The planting survey was conducted from mid-December to mid-January. However, rising fertilizer prices tied to the escalating conflict in the Middle East could shift planting intentions, said Glacier FarmMedia analyst Bruce Burnett. He said the relatively lower input costs for pulse crops compared to other options could lead to more area going to peas and lentils this spring than earlier expectations.

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U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke L. Rollins announced Feb. 19 that the USDA intended to purchase up to $263 million in dairy and agricultural products from U.S. farmers and producers to distribute to food banks and nutrition assistance programs across the country.

“From milk and dairy to fruits, legumes, and tree nuts, these staples are essential for feeding families and sustaining America’s agricultural economy,” said Rollins.

Pulses make up US$75 million of that total, with US$25 million allocated for edible beans, US$24 million for split peas, US$14 million for lentils and US$12 million for chickpeas. The remainder of the funds are slated for dairy, fresh fruit and nuts.

The purchases will be made through USDA’s authority under Section 32 of the Agriculture Act of 1935 with the stated goal of assisting producers and communities in need.

USA Pulses welcomed the move, with CEO Tim McGreevy noting in a Global Pulses report that the announcement provides “meaningful support for American pulse producers while helping deliver nutritious, affordable food to families across the country.”

He added that investment recognizes “the essential role pulses play in both uplifting rural and agricultural communities and promoting food security,” and noted the purchases will help “stabilize farm income, strengthen rural economies, and ensure food banks and nutrition assistance programs have access to shelf-stable, protein-rich foods.”

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“That’s what it looks to be. However, who knows what can happen tomorrow,” Mosnaim said, adding a note of caution in case of any volatility.

“We are in a world that you never know what can happen,” he said. “It’s a ‘fun’ period of time.”

Prices for greens, reds

Over the last week, Western Canadian green and red lentil prices have shifted one to two cents either way at most, Prairie Ag Hotwire reported for the week ended Feb. 13.

Among the greens, Lairds remained unchanged with prices depending on size ranging from 12 to 26 cents per pound delivered.

Estons were mixed with the number ones and twos shedding a half cent while the number threes tacked on a penny. Altogether they were 12.5 to 23.5 cents/lb. delivered.

The Richleas were steady to higher, as its number ones and twos were unchanged and threes added a penny. They were priced at 7.5 to 23.5 cents/lb. delivered.

Then the French greens dipped one cent at 19.5 to 21 cents/lb. delivered.

For the reds, Crimsons gained two cents for all sizes at 15 to 26 cents/lb. delivered.

Spring planting

Just as the Prairies were about to get a significant dump of snow, Mosnaim stressed that the amount received really doesn’t matter too much. Rather it will be how fast or slow the spring melt turns out to be. He added that parts of the region had decent amounts of soil moisture going into winter, which will also help.

As for how much lentils farmers decide to seed come spring, Mosnaim was cautious.

“If farmers planted the same as they did last year … there will be a lot of lentils in storage,” he said.

StatCan, AAFC, CGC

Already, farmers are faced with very large supplies of lentils. Statistics Canada reported on Feb. 6 that lentil stocks as of Dec. 31 were 2.06 million tonnes, almost double from Dec. 31, 2024 as well as the five-year average.

In January, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada projected lentil ending stocks for 2025/26 to hit 1.54 million tonnes, a leap of about one million tonnes from 2024/25. AAFC estimated the 2026/27 carryover to slip to 1.31 million tonnes.

Somewhat on the plus side for lentils, exports and domestic use for 2025/16 are ahead of a year ago. The Canadian Grain Commission reported exports of 782,000 tonnes as of Feb. 8 compared to 763,700 a year ago. Cumulative domestic use reached 127,700 tonnes versus 107,800 the same time last year.

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Peas

• Canada exported 155,841 tonnes of peas in November, which was down by 44 per cent from October. Crop year-to-date pea exports of just over one million tonnes compares with 1.266 million at the same point in 2024/25.
• Bangladesh was the largest destination for peas in November, but India remains the top customer for the year at 416,405 tonnes through four months.
• Yellow peas account for 87 per cent of the total pea exports.
• Crop year-to-date pea exports to China of 90,454 tonnes are down 73 per cent on the year, as Chinese tariffs limited movement earlier in the marketing year. Expectations are for exports to China to pick up in March when tariffs are lifted.

Lentils

• Canadian lentil exports in November of 184,070 tonnes were down 37 per cent from the previous month, with crop year-to-date exports of 775,370 tonnes down 6.6 per cent from the same point the previous year.
• The United Arab Emirates was the largest lentil destination in November, taking 41,636 tonnes, but India remains the top importer of Canadian lentils on the year at 232,112 tonnes through four months.

Chickpeas

• Canada exported 28,338 tonnes of chickpeas in November, up by about 10,000 tonnes from the previous month. Crop-year-to-date chickpea exports of 73,877 tonnes were 39 per cent above the previous year.
• The United States was the largest destination for chickpeas through four months, accounting for 21.5 per cent of the total. Pakistan, Turkey, Italy and Israel round out the top five.

Edible beans

• Canada has exported 79,778 tonnes of dry edible beans through November, with roughly half of that headed to the United States. Year-to-date 2025/26 edible bean exports are up 8.3 per cent from the same point the previous year.
• Edible bean exports in November of 26,356 tonnes were up 6.5 per cent from October.

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Schmidt said the Calgary office hasn’t traded in yellow peas since around Jan. 21.

“Some buyers have been cooling off,” he said, noting the yellows fetched C$7.50 to C$8 per bushel picked up, with delivered around C$8.25/bu. and free on board farm close to that range as well.

Prairie Ag Hotwire reported old crop yellow peas increased by 36 cents during the week ended Jan. 26, at C$6.75 to C$8.25/bu. delivered. The new crop prices were C$6.30 to C$6.65/bu. delivered.

Canada-China deal

The impetus for the increase was the agreement Canada and China reached on Jan. 16, to reduce tariffs on each other come March 1. While Canada will slash its levy on Chinese-made electric vehicles from 100 per cent to 6.1 per cent, China will drop is duties on Canadian yellow peas, canola seed and canola meal from to 15 per cent.

While pea prices are better, Schmidt said some farmers had issues growing them.

“Some guys might be a bit standoffish” when they consider seeding them come spring, he noted. But he said farmers will likely stick with their crop rotations in 2026/27, making a few adjustments.

Also, Schmidt pointed out that Canada and China are still going back and forth on trade issues. He wasn’t sure if pulses were going to be included in forthcoming trade discussions between Canada and India.

AAFC projections for 2026/27

On Jan. 21, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada released its monthly supply and demand estimates, including their initial projections for 2026/27.

For dry peas, AAFC forecast planted area at 1.20 million hectares, down from 1.42 million in 2025/26. The yield is expected to drop from 2.85 tonnes per hectare to 2.43, with production slotted at 2.85 million tonnes, compared to 3.93 million last year.

Total domestic use is to remain relatively stable at 680,000 tonnes and exports are bump up by 200,000 tonnes at 2.70 million. Ending stocks are to retreat from 1.27 million tonnes to 755,000.

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China announced Jan. 16 it was entirely dropping 100 per cent tariffs imposed last March on other Canadian agricultural imports, including yellow peas.

Greg Cherewyk, president of Pulse Canada, said seeing the duty removed from yellow peas brings a sense of relief to growers.

“Canada’s been exporting to China for 30 years, and in the last 10 years, China’s become the largest importer of yellow peas in the world,” Cherewyk said. “To have been shut out of the largest market in the world … was pretty impactful for this industry.”

He also expects Canadian yellow pea shipments to China to resume immediately after the tariffs are lifted, adding that Canada typically exports 100,000 tonnes of yellow peas per month to China on average. However, Cherewyk warned there are many factors which can affect the amount, including demand from the animal feed, human food and pet food industries.

Despite the upcoming removal of China’s tariffs on Canadian yellow peas, India has been imposing a 30 per cent tariff on them since October. Pulse Canada is watching the Indian market closely as numerous factors including food prices, domestic production and politics can abruptly alter India’s trade strategy.

“We always have to be mindful of what’s happening in India. It’s a massive market, an important market for Canada,” he said. “With that being said, we are looking forward to free trade negotiations hopefully soon between Canada and India and hoping to get some predictability.”

Because of India’s tariffs, Pulse Canada has intensified its focus on adding new trade partners for Canadian pulses, with a priority on gaining footholds in the animal feed and pet food markets.

“We have been doing feeding trials throughout what we call the Indo-Pacific or Asia-Pacific, generating interest in that region. We’re doing that work now into Mexico, as well,” Cherewyk said.

“The diversification effort doesn’t stop with the lifting of the tariffs in China. We’ll continue to do that work because it’s still incredibly important that we have other outlets for our products so that we’re not so heavily reliant on a handful of markets in the world.”

Cherewyk added that Pulse Canada is looking to have lentil exports make inroads into the United States and European Union, while also promoting other crops under Pulse Canada’s umbrella.

“From peas to lentils to chickpeas and edible beans to faba beans, there’s work happening in food markets, pet food as well as animal feed,” he said.

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