The federal government has ponied up new funding to help sustain both export and domestic demand for Canadian pulses.
Agriculture Minister Marie-Claude Bibeau on Thursday announced up to $1.6 million for Pulse Canada to “maintain high value markets and position Canada as a preferred supplier of pulse products.”
The funding will provide support for two main activities including the establishment of harmonized pulse ingredient standards, and the development of data and tools to build awareness about the sustainability benefits of Canadian pulses and cropping systems that include pulses, according to a government release. The work is expected to allow Pulse Canada to generate tools and data that highlight the consistent quality and nutritional density of Canadian pulses, along with the environmental benefits of the industry.
“Our industry is committed to innovation in products and services to increase markets for Canadian pulses, which deliver consistent quality, nutrition and sustainability as core values,” said Gord Bacon, Chief Executive Officer, Pulse Canada.
The money comes at a time when Canadian pea and lentil exports (and prices) have fallen amid the implementation of punishing import tariffs in late 2017 by India, one of Canada’s main pulse buyers. For example, Canadian dry pea exports for the 2018-19 crop year are currently estimated by Agriculture Canada at 3.2 million tonnes, up slightly from a year earlier but down sharply from nearly 4 million in 2016-17. For the 2019-20 crop year, Ag Canada is projecting dry pea exports at 3.1 million tonnes.
Canada is the world’s largest exporter of pulse crops and the largest producer and exporter of peas and lentils globally.
Source : Syngenta