The first few months of 2025 has brought a lot of uncertainty for farmers and for the pulse sector in Canada. I do not recall a time during which tariffs, trade policy, and imports and exports were the first topic of conversation at social events, family gatherings, and on the street like they are today.
Grain farmers in Saskatchewan have always been heavily reliant on global markets to sell their products. While we continue to build more processing demand here in Canada, more than 85% of the pulses we produce are exported to countries such as China, India, United States, Türkiye, United Arab Emirates, and over 100 others. Since the start of 2025, farmers now face 100% tariffs on pea exports to China in retaliation for Canada’s similar tariffs on Chinese electric vehicles, steel, and aluminum, and the near-constant threat of tariffs from the United States. In India, we face 11% tariffs on lentils and uncertainty whether open access for peas will remain after May 31, 2025. These three countries are our top three markets for pulses.
However, with all the additional attention on trade comes an opportunity for us to highlight just how important bilateral relations are with other countries and the importance of market diversification, and that is just what we are doing.
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