BY: Jeff English, Vice President, Marketing and Communication, Pulse Canada
As the global landscape evolves in 2025, Pulse Canada is working on your behalf to ensure that Canadian farmers, processors and exporters are positioned to succeed. By focusing on growing access and opportunities in both established and emerging markets, we’re working to build a resilient and prosperous future for the pulse sector. Below are a few highlights of the work being done to grow benefits across the entire value chain.
India
Since December 2023, India has temporarily lifted restrictions on pea exports, with the current policy set to expire at the end of February 2025. Since these restrictions have eased, Canadian growers have sent roughly 1.5 million metric tonnes of peas to India, making India the largest single market for peas for 2024. Canadian growers and traders have also seen tariffs removed on lentils and desi chickpeas through to March 31, 2025, which has opened doors for increased exports. Pulse Canada continues to engage in India with key farmer and industry associations and to monitor market access for peas, lentils and chickpeas. As India’s policy decisions in 2025 will significantly influence global pulse trade, Pulse Canada prioritizes maintaining strong relationships and market presence.
China
China remained an important market for peas in 2024. As has been well documented, Canada’s government-to-government relationship with China has been tenuous. At the same time, China recently granted access for peas to Russia, who has entered the market in a major way. It has been well demonstrated that political relations can impact trade, which is why we have been enacting a strategy that focuses on building and strengthening industry-to-industry relationships. This is being done through in-person missions, both diplomatic and technical, as well as providing resources and learning opportunities for major companies working with Canadian peas. Most recently, Pulse Canada sent a delegation led by Chair Terry Youzwa to meet with Chinese counterparts, strengthening ties with officials and companies who are major customers of Canadian peas. The delegation also continued advocacy for market access for other pulse crops including lentils and faba beans. We continue to leverage memorandums of understanding signed with China’s Chamber of Commerce for Food, Native Produce and Animal By-Products (CFNA) to ensure continued dialogue on the importance of Canada-China trade and on growing our respective pulse sectors.
Indo-Pacific
The Indo-Pacific region offers enormous potential for growth with its rapidly growing economies and large population. Staff at Pulse Canada continue work to develop new markets for pulses, such as the large Asian feed and pet food market, and to increase predictability and reduce trade risk in leading Southeast and South Asian nations. Collaborating with organizations like the Indo-Pacific Agriculture and Agri-Food Office, Pulse Canada is working to position Canadian pulses as a leading choice in these emerging markets.
North America
Pulse Canada continues to prioritize strengthening the United States and Mexico markets and enhancing the integrated North American agriculture industry. In 2024, Canada gained new access to Mexico for faba beans for human and industrial use, further advancing opportunities for Canadian growers in North America’s pulse markets. At the time of writing this article (Jan. 24, 2025), the threat of tariffs from the U.S. still looms large. Pulse Canada is working with likeminded groups, including the Canadian Agri-food Trade Alliance (CAFTA), to better understand the impact tariffs from the U.S. could have on our sector. Growers can be assured that managing our relationship with the important United States market is a top priority for 2025 and beyond.
Sustainability Positioning
There’s no doubt that Canada’s pulse sector has both opportunities and challenges ahead in 2025. For those reasons, we continue to work on market development, helping to create opportunities for pulse crops in high-value markets.
Our sector has developed crop specific strategies for growth across all major pulse crops. Each strategy focuses on specific uses and markets where the largest opportunity exists. We’re seeing tremendous potential in some non-traditional markets for pulse crops by leveraging both their nutritional and environmental benefits. This includes work being done in sectors including pet food, animal and aquaculture feed, and furthering opportunities for pulse flours, starches and fibres among food companies around the world.
Through traditional volume markets, domestic value-added processing, and finding new uses in high value markets, we believe the demand for, and value of, the crops grown here in Manitoba and across Canada can continue to increase.
For more information about how Pulse Canada is working to build a resilient and prosperous future for the pulse sector, please get in touch at jenglishpulsecanada.com.