Red lentils. (Photo courtesy U.S. Dry Pea and Lentil Council)

India imposes duties on chickpeas, lentils

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


Pulses are being used as ingredients in a growing list of products — from pasta to pet foods — and that has experts predicting acreage of peas, lentils, and other pulses will rise sharply over the longer term.

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

Pulse samples at a wholesale market in southern India — the nation’s government stunned market watchers by imposing a 50 per cent tariff on peas last month in a bid to boost prices for its farmers.

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





Beef on display in a market in Japan. (File photo)

Japan to propose changes to beef import safeguards in talks with U.S.

Tokyo | Reuters — Japan will propose changes to its safeguard mechanism on frozen U.S. beef imports that will shorten review periods and allow importers to voluntarily lower import volumes to prevent tariffs from automatically kicking in, two government sources said on Thursday. The proposal will be made at the second round of the U.S.-Japan […] Read more

(Scott Bauer photo courtesy ARS/USDA)

U.S. retail, dining, ag sectors rip NAFTA produce proposal

Washington | Reuters — U.S. retail, restaurant and agriculture groups have weighed in against proposals regarding fresh produce put forward by U.S. negotiators as part of an effort to renegotiate NAFTA, according to letters sent to U.S. officials. Talks to overhaul the North American Free Trade Agreement resume this weekend in Mexico, the second round […] Read more