Carl Potts, executive director of Saskatchewan Pulse Growers, said farmers are looking forward to seeding despite lower crop prices and higher input costs, despite the war in Iran affecting fuel and fertilizer shipments.

“There is a mix of seasonal optimism as we head into spring, as well as some concern over the impacts of the broader geopolitical impacts that have been going on,” Potts said.

• For daily market updates, visit The Western Producer Markets Desk

Most lentil varieties lost 22 to 34 cents per pound since last year, Prairie Ag Hotwire reported. Chickpeas declined four to 12 cents per pound, green peas fell $5.75/bu. and yellow peas dipped $1.34/bu. He said lower prices have kept demand strong, with China re-entering the market for Canadian peas and India remaining one of Canada’s top buyers.

“(Lower prices) really have to (keep demand strong) because we produced a large crop last year in red and especially in green lentils. I think demand is quite good and quite strong but we have a significant inventory, particularly in lentils, that the market will have to move to,” Potts said.

Last month, Statistics Canada projected a 6.3 per cent increase in chickpea acres nationwide for 2026-27 compared to last, as well as a 5.5 per cent decline in lentil acres and a 12.3 per cent drop in pea acres.

Pulses’ appeal grows with fertilizer costs

However, the data was collected before China suspended its tariffs on Canadian peas. Along with the war in Iran, growing pulses is now more appealing due to their lower fertilizer needs. Potts said small shifts in acres could be possible this spring.

“Most farmers would have fertilizer and fuel supplies relatively secured, but in cases where people didn’t have all their nitrogen fertilizer booked and they’re concerned about price or availability, then moving to something like peas or lentils or chickpeas … could be a factor,” he said, adding that farmers will largely stick to their crop rotations.

Potts added that SaskPulse will continue to work on field-based, in-season initiatives such as showcasing and testing their in-house research projects. The organization will also host a series of field days in July.

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Marlene Boersch of Mercantile Consulting Venture Inc. in Winnipeg said large carryouts and lower prices over the past year will likely mean fewer pulse acres this spring.

“Like for all commodities, prices are down quite a bit. So your return-per-acre calculation will change very significantly,” Boersch said. “On top of that, for both lentils and peas, you will have some very significant carryout.”

Seeded lentil acres were estimated at 4.138 million tonnes, down 5.5 per cent from last year. The total would be the least amount of acres in three years and the second-least since 2020. One reason for the decline would be the 2025-26 carryout of 1.695 million tonnes, more than three times larger than the previous year’s.

Dry pea acres were also set to be lower, dropping by 12.3 per cent at 3.078 million acres. The figure was also the lowest in three years and the second-lowest since 2012. Dry pea plantings will decline in all three Prairie provinces, most notably Saskatchewan where it will lose 16.6 per cent for a total of 1.479 million. The 2025-26 carryout for dry peas was 1.31 million tonnes, nearly triple from the previous year.

The amount of edible bean acres is projected to decline by 30.7 per cent at 295,000 acres, the smallest total since 2015 and one year after the biggest edible bean crop since 2020. Manitoba’s seeded area was estimated at 120,000 tonnes this year, down 44.7 per cent from 2025.

StatCan estimated faba beans acres this spring to total 55,900, 18.8 per cent lower than in 2025 and the fewest acres since 2016. It would also mark the fourth straight time faba bean acres in Canada declined year-by-year.

Chickpeas were the only pulse to buck the trend. Canadians are expected to use 6.3 per cent more land than last year to grow the crop at 575,000 acres. It would be the fifth straight yearly increase for chickpeas and its largest seeded area since 2001. This is despite 2026 ending stocks for chickpeas having more than quadrupled from the year before at 275,000 tonnes.

The planting survey was conducted from mid-December to mid-January. However, rising fertilizer prices tied to the escalating conflict in the Middle East could shift planting intentions, said Glacier FarmMedia analyst Bruce Burnett. He said the relatively lower input costs for pulse crops compared to other options could lead to more area going to peas and lentils this spring than earlier expectations.

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Peas

• Canada exported 155,841 tonnes of peas in November, which was down by 44 per cent from October. Crop year-to-date pea exports of just over one million tonnes compares with 1.266 million at the same point in 2024/25.
• Bangladesh was the largest destination for peas in November, but India remains the top customer for the year at 416,405 tonnes through four months.
• Yellow peas account for 87 per cent of the total pea exports.
• Crop year-to-date pea exports to China of 90,454 tonnes are down 73 per cent on the year, as Chinese tariffs limited movement earlier in the marketing year. Expectations are for exports to China to pick up in March when tariffs are lifted.

Lentils

• Canadian lentil exports in November of 184,070 tonnes were down 37 per cent from the previous month, with crop year-to-date exports of 775,370 tonnes down 6.6 per cent from the same point the previous year.
• The United Arab Emirates was the largest lentil destination in November, taking 41,636 tonnes, but India remains the top importer of Canadian lentils on the year at 232,112 tonnes through four months.

Chickpeas

• Canada exported 28,338 tonnes of chickpeas in November, up by about 10,000 tonnes from the previous month. Crop-year-to-date chickpea exports of 73,877 tonnes were 39 per cent above the previous year.
• The United States was the largest destination for chickpeas through four months, accounting for 21.5 per cent of the total. Pakistan, Turkey, Italy and Israel round out the top five.

Edible beans

• Canada has exported 79,778 tonnes of dry edible beans through November, with roughly half of that headed to the United States. Year-to-date 2025/26 edible bean exports are up 8.3 per cent from the same point the previous year.
• Edible bean exports in November of 26,356 tonnes were up 6.5 per cent from October.

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Why it matters: U.S. pulses compete with Canadian crops on the international export market.

Peas

• · Dry edible pea production was estimated at 838,400 tonnes in the January report, which was down by nearly 100,000 tonnes from the December estimate but still up from the 772,400 tonnes grown in 2024.
• · Average U.S. pea yields were lowered to 1.95 tonnes per hectare from 2.03 T/ha in December, while harvested pea area was down six per cent from the previous month at 430,190 hectares.
• · Green peas are currently trading as high as US$9.60 per bushel (C$13.28) in North Dakota with yellow peas topping out at US$6.25 (C$8.65), according to Prairie Ag Hotwire data.

Lentils

• · Average U.S. lentil yields were raised to 1.25 T/ha, from 1.18 T/ha in December. However, production was revised lower due to a 10 per cent drop in harvested area.
• · Total U.S. lentil production for 2025 is now estimated at 478,860 tonnes. That compares with the December estimate of 502,720 tonnes and the year-ago level of 410,460 tonnes.

Chickpea

• · Chickpea production, at 310,440 tonnes, was down from the previous estimate of 337,020 tonnes, but up by 20 per cent from 2024.
• · Average U.S. chickpea yields of 1.47 T/ha compare with 1.29 T/ha in 2024.

Edible beans

• · U.S. farmers grew 1.218 million tonnes of edible beans in 2025, according to the USDA. That was down from 1.420 million tonnes in the previous year and the December estimate of 1.363 million tonnes.

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The pulse harvest is well underway in Australia, with total pulse production for the country forecast by ABARES to increase by 16 per cent on the year at 6.3 million tonnes.

Why it matters: Australian chickpeas and lentils compete with Canadian supplies on the global market.

Of that total, chickpea production is forecast to dip to 2.120 million tonnes from 2.267 million tonnes grown in 2024/25. Meanwhile, lentil production is forecast at 1.910 million tonnes, which would be up 51 per cent on the year.

Lupin production is forecast at 991,000 tonnes, up 27 per cent, while all other pulses at 1.283 million tonnes would be up by 15 per cent.

Increased demand form India has reportedly helped drive Australian farmers to grow more pulses. Australia exported a record 2.050 million tonnes of chickpeas in 2024/25, with 70 per cent of that total going to India.

“India’s domestic production had been impacted by poor seasonal conditions, resulting in high domestic prices,” said ABARES, noting that the strong sales to India were due to India instituting a tariff free period for Australian chickpeas.

“The increased demand for Australian exports resulted in chickpea prices increasing to over $1,000 (Australian dollars) per tonne, as exporters competed to secure supply from growers,” said ABARES.

The tariff free period ended on March 31, 2025, but the rate was adjusted to 10 per cent rather than the 66 per cent tariffs before the tariff free period.

ABARES expects chickpea exports will dip to 1.714 million tonnes in 2025/26, but sees lentil exports increasing to 1.537 million tonnes from 1.155 million in 2024/25.

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Colin Young, manager at Mid-West Grain Ltd. in Moose Jaw, Sask., said while chickpeas haven’t been “immune to the pallor” affecting other commodities, they haven’t seen big gains either. He added that they are in the tail-end of a two-year decline before prices start to come up again.

“I think the market’s stable in the high-(20 cents per pound) to the grower. Whether you call it 26 to 29, I don’t see anything that’s going to push bids over 30 and I don’t see anything that will make it collapse close to red lentil prices,” Young explained.

Prairie Ag Hotwire reported Kabuli chickpeas from eight to 10 mm in diameter had delivered bids of 27 to 34 cents per pound as of Nov. 19.

The growing season in Saskatchewan was “typical”, Young said, as chickpeas returned to early-fall harvests after years of drought conditions forced early combining. Pending Statistics Canada’s production update on Dec. 4, StatCan estimated 292,600 tonnes were harvested in Saskatchewan this year, the largest amount since 2001. The projected yield of 1.504 tonnes per hectare was also the highest since 2022. However, there were some areas of the province which saw difficulties.

“There was a frost event around Sept. 6 that absolutely affected the crops … east of Moose Jaw,” Young said. “In the Weyburn and Estevan area, they were extremely late (due to rain) and didn’t get their stuff harvested until October into November … Very surprisingly, southwest of Swift Current, they had some pretty big storm events in early-August.”

He added that 30 per cent of the chickpea crop would be graded “number two”, 40 per cent were frost-damaged at “number-three to sample grade” and the rest were feed grade.

“The September frost event, combined with the regrowth and later harvest absolutely affected the quality of chickpeas this year,” Young said.

Demand for Canadian chickpeas were “robust”, but they face stiff competition from Russia, the United States, Turkey and Argentina. Young estimated that Canada grew enough chickpeas to supply two year’s worth of global pet food demand for the crop.

“If we can meet the price point our buyers are willing to pay, we have very good prospects of sales. The problem with the price point where the buyers want to be is that it means resistance from growers,” he added.

Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, in its October report, projected carryout stocks for 2025-26 to more than double from the previous year at 145,000 tonnes nationwide. Young expects chickpea prices to stay sideways with “slight downward pressure” in the short term, but prices will slowly increase in the long term.

“I believe we’re entering into the lower end of the price spectrum for the next several crops,” he said. “When I say that, over time, the price of chickpeas will go up, I believe that. However, I feel that the likelihood of a significant change in chickpea prices over the next 12 months is quite low.”

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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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In the USDA’s first 2025/26 production estimates for the two pulse crops, released Sept. 12, it forecast dry edible pea production at 933,310 tonnes. That would be up by 23 per cent on the year, and the largest crop since 2020.

Projected pea yields, at 2.03 tonnes per hectare (1,814 pounds per acre), were only up by two per cent on the year, with most of the increased production linked to larger seeded area.

U.S. lentil production is forecast to be up by 22 per cent on the year, at 502,720 tonnes. Average yields are forecast at 1.18 tonnes per hectare (1,055 pounds per acre), up five per cent.

Chickpea production is estimated at 337,020 tonnes by the USDA, which compares with 255,460 tonnes in 2024/25.

Dry edible bean production in the U.S. is forecast to be down in 2025 despite improved yields due to a reduction in harvested area. Total edible bean production was forecast at 1.363 million tonnes by the USDA, which compares with 1.419 million tonnes in 2024/25.

Yellow peas are currently priced at around US$4.75 to US$5.75 per bushel in North Dakota, which works out to roughly C$6.57 to C$7.95 per bushel, according to Prairie Ag Hotwire data, which is slightly higher than average pricing opportunities in Western Canada.

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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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