Reading Time: < 1 minute MarketsFarm — Since chickpea prices fell rapidly during last year’s harvest, the jury is out as to what the chickpea market holds this year. “Acres are going to be down this year because the price isn’t what it was a year ago,” said Melody Ector, president of Diefenbaker Spice and Pulse at Elbow, Sask. Prices […] Read more

Lower prices, relative profitability tug at chickpea acres

India to reimburse freight for some ag exports
Reading Time: < 1 minute New Delhi | Reuters — India will provide federal support for the transportation of some farm products to make Indian goods more competitive in foreign markets, the government said in a statement Tuesday. The scheme will be applicable for a year, to March 2020. The government will reimburse the freight paid by Indian exporters through […] Read more

Pulse weekly outlook: Little excitement in market
Reading Time: < 1 minute The pulse market has been largely quiet for the last couple of months, according to Adam Krieser of CanPulse Foods in Saskatoon, although rail shipments were curtailed due to weather and other issues including a fatal crash. Three Canadian Pacific Railway crew members were killed Feb. 4 when a grain train derailed on CP’s mainline […] Read more

Pulse weekly outlook: Values steady ahead of road bans, seeding
Reading Time: < 1 minute For pulses so far midwinter there hasn’t been a great deal of movement pricewise, though two factors are seen on the horizon could generate some change: road restrictions and spring seeding. Large green lentils are around 22 cents/lb. picked up at the farm, said Dale McManus of Johnston Grains at Welwyn, Sask., about 145 km […] Read more

AGT privatization gets shareholders’ approval
Reading Time: 2 minutes The privatization of Canadian pulse processor AGT Food and Ingredients is set to move another step forward as company officials take their plan to Ontario’s Superior Court on Monday. The Feb. 11 court date in Toronto comes after AGT shareholders voted Tuesday at a special shareholders’ meeting in favour of privatization, according to a company […] Read more

Pulse weekly outlook: Nothing new in India
Reading Time: 2 minutes Very little has changed for Canadian pulses in terms of exports to India, according to an analyst. Meanwhile, Canadian stocks of dry field peas and lentils are still relatively large, according to Statistics Canada. India in 2017 imposed import duties to protect its domestic pulse industry and is rumoured to be solidifying those duties, according […] Read more

Eat plant-based foods more often, new Food Guide says
Reading Time: 2 minutes Health Canada unveiled a new Canada Food Guide today that ends the era of the ‘four food groups,’ no longer refers to serving sizes nor specific amounts of food to eat daily, and replaces the former iconic rainbow with a dinner plate comprised mostly of plant-based foods. This new guide is all about proportion rather […] Read more

Pulse weekly outlook: Lentils, peas get new profile as protein source
Reading Time: 2 minutes Health Canada has unveiled its new food guide, which switches the focus from portion sizes to a balanced diet and includes protein from sources like peas and lentils. For the Canadian pulse crop industry, it’s a narrative they’ve been sharing for years. The new Canada’s Food Guide is “also sort of a realization that there […] Read more

U.S. firm partners with James Cameron’s Prairie pulse processor
Reading Time: 2 minutes CNS Canada — Saskatchewan pulse processing company Verdient Foods has entered into a joint venture agreement with U.S. company Ingredion to expand operations. The organic pea protein fractionation facility at Vanscoy, about 20 km southwest of Saskatoon, has been running since last year and the new agreement will see it expand operations to include more […] Read more

Pulse weekly outlook: Eyes on India as North America’s prices firm
Reading Time: 2 minutes CNS Canada — From where Prairie pulse market analysts sit, India’s politics and current weather situation remain important to watch. India’s national election will be called in the next three to five months. “There’s so many hundreds of thousands of farmers in India and they have political clout,” said Allan Johnston of Johnston Grains at […] Read more