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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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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“We were looking at some pretty difficult circumstances,” Penner said, referencing the trade issues Canada had with China and India over the last year, and emphasized the cyclical nature of the markets.

“Right now, I believe we are at the low part of the cycle, which means we will be coming up the other side. It’s just a matter of timing,” he said.

Penner said Canadian pulse growers had one of their biggest harvests, but not necessarily due to the most planted area in five years nor the August rains.

“It was the mild summer,” he stated. “It’s the temperatures that gave us the big yields this year.”

Export competition

Penner cautioned that foreign competitors such as Russia also had sizeable pulse crops with it gleaning about five million tonnes of peas alone.

On the positive side, he said China is set to remove its 100 per cent tariffs on Canadian pea imports come March 1.

“We’ll see how much of an appetite they have left for peas,” Penner said, noting that China’s pea inventories are at 20-year lows.

China/India

He said it’s very likely China will continue buying Russian peas for feed and purchase the better quality Canadian peas for fractionation.

Although India ended its duty-free period on its pea imports in November, as a means to boost domestic prices, Penner said Canadian bids surprisingly haven’t declined.

He forecast China and India to each import about 800,000 tonnes of Canadian peas in 2025/26. However, he lamented that it will still leave large ending stocks.

Penner based his estimate that on average pea yields of 35 bu./ac., down from 42.3. He placed planted area at 3.15 million acres compared to 3.51 million in 2025/26. That put 2026/27 production at 2.94 million tonnes versus 3.93 million this year.

Lentils

As with peas, Canadian growers reaped a large lentil crop but so did its competitors, including Australia at about 1.91 million tonne, Penner said.

“We’re not the only show in town anymore,” he noted, but cautioned that other major lentil-producing countries such as Turkey, the United States, Kazakhstan are set to plant less in 2026/27.

The price differences between Canada and Australia should help the former’s exports. Penner cited Canadian red lentils at about US$350 per tonne, versus US$450 for Australian reds.

Although India’s lentil imports are off to a good start, he stressed their domestic prices are at multi-year lows. Currently, India has a 10 per cent import duty on lentils, and Penner warned that could increase.

If India were to triple its levy to 30 per cent, he’s confident that won’t hurt Canada’s lentils exports to the country.

He said the best hope for Canadian lentils in 2026/27 is for increased exports, farmers to reduce their acres and to get average yields.

Penner said if lentil yields fall from 1,722 pounds per acre this year to an average of 1,213 in 2026/27, coupled with reduced planted acres of 3.90 million compared to 4.38 million this year, that will help reduce ending stocks.

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‘General malaise’

Lentils, peas and other pulses in Western Canada remained largely unchanged during the holiday season, but Boersch said there’s a “general malaise” that continues to hang over the Canadian pulse market.

One aspect she cited was China’s tariffs on its imports of Canadian peas. Another being the duties Turkey had in place on its lentil imports.

“Both of those countries, their overall import numbers are actually up over last year, it’s just that our market share is falling for a number of reasons,” Boersch said. “That’s really the crux of the problem.”

Reduced acres likely

Also, there’s an ample supply of green lentils while the situation is not as severe with the reds. She noted that it will take some time to reduce that supply and the carryout for 2025/26 will increase.

“That changes the outlook completely. It changes the willingness to contract and affix prices,” Boersch said, noting that planted pea and lentil acres are likely to decline this spring.

“The other commodities don’t look like shining stars either,” she added.

Lentil, pea prices

Prairie Ag Hotwire reported lentil prices were almost all unchanged for the week ended Jan. 6. The Lairds ranged from 11.5 to 26 cents per pound, delivered depending on the size. Estons were 14 to 24.5 cents/lb. Richleas 9.5 to 22 cents/lb. Crimsons 12 to 23 cents/lb.

Green peas remained in place at C$8.50 to C$10.50 per bushel delivered, but the yellows climbed nine cents at C$6.50 to C$7.46/bu.

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Lentils

Canada’s lentil crop was projected to total 3.363 million tonnes this marketing year, more than StatCan’s September estimate of 2.972 million and the 2024-25 total of 2.431 million. If realized, it would be the largest lentil crop ever recorded in Canada, surpassing the previous record of 3.194 million tonnes in 2016-17. Pre-report trade estimates ranged from 3.1 million to 3.5 million tonnes.

Peas

StatCan forecasted the dry pea crop at 3.934 million tonnes, up from its September estimate of 3.563 million and last year’s total of 2.997 million. It would be the largest pea crop since 2020-21 when production came out to 4.594 million. The trade earlier estimated Canada’s pea production to be between 3.8 million and four million tonnes.

Chickpeas

Canada’s chickpea production is set to make a big jump from last year, with the 2025-26 estimate at 481,589 tonnes. StatCan estimated this year’s chickpea crop at 331,000 tonnes in September, compared to last year’s total of 286,768 tonnes. It would also become Canada’s largest chickpea crop, exceeding the 455,000 tonnes grown in 2001-02.

Edible beans

Dry beans for 2025-26 were projected at 437,935 tonnes, up from the September estimate of 351,800 tonnes and slightly higher than the 424,141 tonnes reported for 2024-25. The crop would be the largest since 2020-21, which was 489,500 tonnes.

Of the total, navy (white) beans were estimated to be up 34 per cent on the year at 91,000 tonnes, while coloured beans were down three per cent at 347,000 tonnes.

Faba beans

Faba bean production in Canada for this marketing year was pegged at 71,176 tonnes, down from last year’s total of 87,833. StatCan did not publish an estimate in September. The crop would be the smallest since 2021-22, recorded at 68,475 tonnes.

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In Saskatchewan, the province’s weekly crop report showed the average field pea yield as of Oct. 6 was 42 bushels per acre. That would be well above StatCan’s September principal field crop estimates that forecast that forecast Saskatchewan pea yields at 35.5 bu./ac. and compares with 32.6 bu./ac. in 2024-25. Lentils, which were 99.1 per cent harvested, yielded 1,922 pounds per acre, said the province. StatCan reported 1,463 lbs./ac. for 2025-26, up from 1,285 the previous year. Chickpeas lagged behind all other crops at 69.2 per cent harvest completion and reported an average yield of 1,817 lbs./ac. StatCan reported an estimate of 1,342, slightly higher than the average of 1,304 in 2024-25.

Manitoba’s field pea harvest was also complete with the province reporting an average yield of 60 bu./ac. as of Oct. 5, with yields ranging from 30 to 75. StatCan reported the projected average yield at 49.4, compared to last year’s yield of 51.1 Dry beans, grown in the central and east regions, were 90 per cent harvested. Dennis Lange, the province’s pulse specialist, said on Oct. 7 many fields reported up to 2,000 lbs./ac. with some pinto beans reported at 2,500 lbs./ac.

Alberta’s field pea harvest was complete as of Oct. 7 and yields were larger than in previous years. The province reported an average yield of 46.8 bu./ac., 33 per cent above the five-year average. StatCan’s estimate was 40.2, compared to 35.4 last year. Quality was down with only nine per cent of the crop graded 1 Can. compared to 24 per last year. Lentils, grown in the south and central regions, were also 100 per cent harvested. StatCan’s estimated average yield was 1,878 lbs./ac., higher than the 1,254 reported last year. Chickpeas, of which Alberta’s harvest is near complete, had an estimated average yield of 1,781 lbs./ac., compared to 1,400 last year, said StatCan.

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Producers across Saskatchewan, and into neighbouring areas of Manitoba and Alberta, can access the site, input their location, and soil type, and find detailed trial results and variety information. The performance data will then help in making informed decisions about which pulse crops perform best in their specific geographic areas and growing environments. The enhanced platform builds on a previous tool, with several significant improvements:

Updated Pulse Varieties: The platform has a broad range of pulse varieties including lentils, peas, chickpeas, faba beans and dry beans.

Advanced Data Sets: Enhanced with detailed data sets that offer deeper insights into variety performance, including ratings for maturity, seed coat colour, protein content and disease resistance.

Weather Data Integration: Weather data is included to compare varietal performance under variable environmental conditions, helping producers understand how different varieties respond to climate patterns.

Superior User Experience: Completely redesigned interface ensures intuitive navigation and streamlined access to critical information. Compare all varieties available for a selected crop and region simultaneously.

Multi-Device Compatibility: Optimized for seamless performance across desktop computers, tablets, and smartphones, enabling farmers to access vital information anywhere, anytime.

Complete Feature Integration: All popular features from the previous version have been preserved and enhanced, ensuring continuity for existing users while providing expanded capabilities.

“We are excited to introduce this powerful new tool that will help pulse producers make more informed variety selection decisions,” said Winston van Staveren, SPG Board Chair in a news release. “The enhanced Pulse Variety Hub represents our continued commitment to supporting farmers with the most transparent and accessible agricultural information available.”

The platform serves as a resource for pulse crop producers seeking to optimize their variety selection based on specific growing conditions, regions, market requirements and production goals. The comprehensive database includes detailed information on agronomic characteristics, average yields, disease resistance profiles, maturity ratings and performance data across various growing environments.

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StatCan placed dry pea production in Alberta at about 1.59 million tonnes this year, up from 1.16 million last year. Also, lentil output is to rise to 477,715 tonnes versus 316,295 a year ago.

Leanne Fischbuch, APG executive director, said market signals earlier this year led Alberta growers to opt for more dry peas and lentils. Especially with Canada’s two largest export customers, India and China, being more open to pulses at the time.

“The market significantly changed come March,” Fischbuch said.

Just when India extended its duty-free period on its yellow pea imports, China slapped a 100 per cent tariff on its yellow peas from Canada. The latter was part of China’s retaliation against Canada imposing a 100 per cent levy on imports of Chinese made electric vehicles.

During the growing season in Alberta, warmer temperatures in July didn’t reach levels that could have encouraged flower blast, Fischbuch said.

“You want heat, but not that scorching, dry-me-out type of heat,” she added, noting that it came a little bit later than usual.

Fischbuch said spotty rains throughout much of Alberta were helpful, but they led to some mold issues but nothing too serious.

In terms of prices, Prairie Ag Hotwire reported that as of Sept. 22, dry peas were steady to 25 cents per bushel higher delivered and most lentils were up a half cent to 1.5 cents per pound. The exception being Richleas which were steady to down five cents/lb.

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Dry pea production for 2025-26 was projected at 3.408 million tonnes, compared to 2.997 million the previous year. It would be the largest output in three years, as well as exceeding the five-year average of 2.936 million.

Lentil production is set to reach a five-year high at 2.655 million tonnes, up from 2.431 million last year and up from the five-year average of 2.162 million.

Chickpea production in Canada was also projected for an eight-year high at 308,868 tonnes, up from 286,768 in 2024-25 and well above the five-year average of 198,385.

Dry bean production is expected to decline in 2025-26 to 352,722 tonnes, down from 424,141 the previous year. The five-year average was 358,549 tonnes.

StatCan will release its principal field crop stocks as of July 31 on Sept. 9, followed by its next acreage estimates on Sept. 17.

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