The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has announced its final Renewable Volume Obligation (RVO) blending rule for biomass-based diesel.

The EPA set the blending mandate for biodiesel and renewable diesel to 5.4 billion gallons in 2026 and 5.5 billion gallons in 2027.

That is a 61 to 64 per cent increase over the 2025 level of 3.35 billion gallons.

“We’re very pleased to see those updates, and Canadian canola can make a meaningful contribution there,” said Canola Council of Canada president Chris Davison.

WHY IT MATTERS: The U.S. is the biggest buyer of Canadian canola oil.

He has not yet seen the EPA’s official regulatory text, but based on the agency’s announcement, there does not appear to be anything preventing Canadian canola oil from helping to meet the feedstock demand for the new RVOs.

“Canola is a modest but important feedstock in U.S. biomass-based diesel production,” said Davis.

The new RVOs should create an “appreciable opportunity” for Canada’s canola crushers who have greatly increased production capacity in recent years.

U.S. oilseed groups were thrilled with the EPA’s announcement.

The American Soybean Association said soybean farmers needed a win to boost domestic markets, and U.S. president Donald Trump’s administration delivered “in a big way.”

“The 2026-27 RVOs will increase soybean oil use, boost U.S. soybean processing and grow domestic biofuel markets for our crop,” ASA president Scott Metzger stated in a press release.

The final rule also reallocates 70 per cent of retroactive small refinery exemption volumes dating back to 2016 back into the blending pool to support additional biofuel production and soybean demand.

The only letdown for U.S. soybean growers was that they did not get their wish for the rule to prioritize domestically sourced biofuel feedstocks in 2026 and 2027.

EPA to reduce credits for imported biofuel, feedstocks

However, the EPA announced that it will reduce credit generation for imported biofuels and biofuel feedstocks by half, beginning in 2028.

If the EPA lives up to that promise, it would serve as a significant additional economic driver for the U.S. soybean sector, according to the association.

Davison is not sure what the EPA means by imported biofuel and feedstocks. At one point, the agency was considering a proposal to create a ring fence covering all of North America, and anything outside that zone would be considered imported.

He needs to see the details of the regulation to figure out what the EPA is considering for 2028.

The U.S. biofuel industry accounts for more than half of all U.S. domestic soybean oil consumption.

Clean Fuels Alliance America noted that biodiesel and renewable diesel facilities were forced to shut down or run far below previous year levels in 2025 due to market uncertainty.

U.S. biodiesel production declined by one-third compared to 2024 levels.

“The robust biomass-based diesel volumes set in this rule support America’s farmers and consumers,” Kurt Kovarik, Clean Fuel’s vice-president of federal affairs, stated in a press release.

Demand from the biodiesel and renewable diesel sector accounts for 10 per cent of the value of every bushel of U.S. grown soybeans.

The National Oilseed Processors Association called it a “landmark rule” that provides certainty and confidence for American farmers and processors.

“The historic volumes for biomass-based diesel, the 70 per cent reallocation of waived gallons, and the commitment to account for SREs (small refinery exemptions) on a go-forward basis, restores program integrity and puts the RFS (renewable fuel standard) back on a growth trajectory,” association president Devin Mogler said in a press release.

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The grain company rejoined the organization at its March 12 annual general meeting after nearly a nine-year hiatus.

“Richardson is a significant player in the industry in a number of different capacities, including as an exporter and processor, so it’s great to have them around the table as a member of the council,” said council president Chris Davison.

Richardson withdrew its funding from the canola council, the Flax Council of Canada and Soy Canada at the end of 2017.

It had been spending more than $1 million per year funding the three organizations.

“We don’t think we got the value out of it,” Jean-Marc Ruest, Richardson’s senior vice-president of corporate affairs, said at the time.

Davison said the council maintained a working relationship with Richardson over the ensuing years.

Recently he discussed the council’s updated priorities with the grain company.

“That led to a decision from them to rejoin the council as a regular member,” he said.

WHY IT MATTERS: Richardson was the only major grain company that was not a member of the council.

He doesn’t know what tipped the scale.

“That’s a question you might have to ask them,” said Davison.

“I think it’s more than one thing.”

Richardson was contacted for this story but did not reply in time to meet The Western Producer’s publication deadline.

One of Richardson’s original concerns surrounded the council’s extensive work on agronomy when the private sector had its own agronomists working in the countryside.

The council seemingly addressed that concern when it announced a “refreshed” strategic framework on July 31, 2025.

In that announcement, the organization said it would no longer maintain a field-based agronomy team.

Davison said the council will instead focus on maintaining or enhancing the ability to innovate, promoting canola’s role in biofuel, ensuring market access for canola products and conducting targeted market development around the world.

Exporters and processors provided $1.33 million, or 36 per cent, of the council’s core funding in 2025.

That compares to $1.55 million contributed by provincial grower groups, $750,000 from life science companies and $21,000 from affiliate memberships.

Davison would not divulge how much Richardson would be paying in 2026.

“We don’t talk about the amounts that individual organizations contribute,” he said.

However, he noted that it will be helpful to have the grain company back in the fold when it comes to tackling priorities and co-ordinating and aligning activities.

“The more of the industry that we have represented at the table the better that is,” said Davison.

Aaron Anderson of Richardson is one of three new directors for 2026-27. He will be a director-at-large nominated by the council’s board.

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Aaron Anderson of Richardson International is listed as one of three new directors for 2026-27.

Anderson will be a director-at-large nominated by the council’s board.

It is an interesting development because Richardson withdrew its funding from the Canola Council of Canada, the Flax Council of Canada and Soy Canada in late-2017.

It had been spending more than $1 million per year funding the three organizations.

“We don’t think we got the value out of it,” Jean-Marc Ruest, Richardson’s senior vice-president of corporate affairs, said at the time.

WHY IT MATTERS: The board appointment suggest industry heavyweight Richardson may have rejoined the commodity group.^

There were no press releases issued by either the canola council or Richardson about the company rejoining the fold.

The Western Producer has contacted both organizations and is waiting for a reply.

One of Richardson’s original concerns was over the canola council’s extensive work on agronomy when the private sector already had its own agronomists working in the countryside.

“Is there an element of duplication that should be looked at?” said Ruest at the time.

The council seemingly addressed that concern when it announced a “refreshed” strategic framework on July 31, 2025.

In that announcement, the organization said it would no longer maintain a field-based agronomy team.

The council said it would instead focus on three core priorities:

• Sustainable and reliable supply — growing the volume of Canadian canola to meet domestic and global market needs.
• Stable markets for value optimization — growing the economic value of canola by developing and defending markets for Canadian canola and canola products.
• Member service excellence — delivering continued value to members through council services and working to strengthen coordination and engagement with industry partners.

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The Farmers Equity Trust was created in 2015 as a condition of the sale of the CWB to G3 Canada Ltd.

Ten years later, the trust units have been fully allocated.

“It is momentous,” said trust chair Kevin Augusta. “It is definitely a signpost along the way for the trust.”

The trust owns 499,000 Class B shares in G3, which were originally valued at $210.2 million.

That represented a 49.9 per cent ownership stake in the company at the time the trust was created on July 31, 2015.

These days, the ownership stake is closer to 20 per cent.

“Over time, G3 has spent a whack of money building new inland terminals and a new export terminal in Vancouver,” said Augusta.

The majority shareholders, which are Bunge Global SA and SALIC Canada Ltd., contributed all the cash for that expansion in return for additional equity in the firm.

The trust has no money to invest, so its percentage ownership in G3 has been diluted over time.

“We have a lower percentage of a bigger entity than we did on day one,” he said.

WHY IT MATTERS: Many Prairie farmers have an ownership stake in G3 Canada.

Units in the trust are issued to eligible farmers who have delivered grain to G3 and to the former wheat board. There are about 28,000 unit holders in Western Canada.

Farmers who delivered grain to the board between Aug. 1, 2013, and July 31, 2015, are eligible for units in addition to those who delivered grain to G3 after its inception on Aug. 1, 2015.

When the trust was formed, G3 estimated it would take seven to 10 years to allocate all the units.

“That’s about what it took,” said Augusta.

Units are reserved for any farmer who delivered grain and are issued to those who complete an eligibility certificate.

Are you…?

Statements are issued annually to those with reserved units, asking them to complete a certificate comprising two questions: are you a resident of Western Canada and are you a taxpayer?

However, many farmers have not completed the certificate. About half of the total allocated units are still reserved and have not yet been issued.

Augusta wishes more farmers would complete the eligibility certificate.

“Sign it and send it back. It’s not onerous,” he said.

There are no tax implications at the time the units are issued and no costs to the farmer. However, there will be a capital gain incurred once they are redeemed.

There are four ways to redeem the trust units:

• Farmers can request redemption upon reaching age 75 for units held for at least three years.
• The estate can request redemption upon the death of a unit holder. “We are receiving many, many such redemption request these days,” said Augusta.
• If the other G3 shareholders purchase the trust shares at fair market value, an option that kicked in at the end of seven years of the company’s existence. “So far, they haven’t shown any indications that they’re desirous of doing that,” he said.
• If the majority shareholders in G3 decide to sell their interest in the firm. “Our shares would get dragged along in any transaction on the same terms and conditions,” said Augusta.

Redemptions

The trust board considers redemptions once a year. Trust units are currently valued at $3.40 per unit. That number changes quarterly based on a mathematical formula.

“Sometimes we hear grumblings that farmers can’t necessarily redeem their units when they want, and that’s true,” said Augusta.

“It was never designed to be a liquid investment.”

Once a unit is redeemed, it is cancelled. They do not get reissued.

Annual redemptions these days total much more than $500,000 per year.

That could eventually prove problematic because the government originally provided $4.6 million to manage the trust, and that fund has dwindled over time.

Augusta declined to divulge how much remains in the fund. At some point, the trust will not have the means to redeem any more units, in which case they will have to issue promissory notes.

There is always the possibility that the fund could receive an injection of cash if the other G3 shareholders make an offer to purchase the trust shares or if G3 is sold to another buyer.

If that happens, the net proceeds will be distributed to all the issued units. The reserved units that belong to farmers who have not bothered to fill out their eligibility certificates will not participate in the distribution of proceeds.

“That farmer will get nothing,” said Augusta.

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Urea barges in New Orleans traded roughly US$50-$80 per short ton, or 11 to 17 per cent higher, on March 2 compared to Feb. 28, according to Argus Media.

The conflict presents a “major risk” to North American urea supplies ahead of spring planting, according to an analysis published on the Argus website.

A vessel loading on Monday in the Middle East would arrive in the United States by mid-April. March and April are the largest months for urea imports.

“If shipments from the Middle East are delayed or disrupted, the U.S. would lose a critical source of urea, likely crunching supply and laying the groundwork for upward price volatility,” Argus analyst Calder Jett said in his article.

“Middle Eastern producers of urea so far have suspended offers and are grappling with shipping complications in the Strait of Hormuz.”

WHY IT MATTERS: This is the time of year when farmers are contemplating spring fertilizer purchases.

StoneX fertilizer analyst Josh Linville said the conflict couldn’t come at a worse time for North American farmers, who are gearing up for spring.

Commercial shipping traffic through the Strait of Hormuz has started to “grind to a halt.” Vessel owners do not want to put their ships and crews in harm’s way.

The market impact will depend on how long the strait is shut down, he said in a YouTube video on the subject.

U.S. president Donald Trump has stated that U.S. military operations in Iran are likely to last at least one month.

“The unfortunate part is that means you have locked in three of your top 10 global urea exporters and three of your top 10 global anhydrous exporters,” said Linville.

Saudi Arabia is also a major exporter of phosphate fertilizer.

The phosphate market was already suffering from the lack of Chinese exports. The world’s largest exporter of the product said it will not be shipping any product until August 2026.

The urea market has also had problems with supply keeping up to rising demand due to a lack of Chinese exports and the European Union functioning at about 75 per cent of its normal operating rate.

“We have gotten to the point where we don’t have any excess supplies anymore,” said Linville.

Iran and Saudi Arabia don’t have any alternatives to shipping through the Strait of Hormuz.

“For those manufacturers that rely on the Persian Gulf to get out to the rest of the world, if you shut down that narrow body of water, you’re stuck,” he said.

Dennis Voznesenski, agricultural economist with the Commonwealth Bank of Australia, reports that three freight vessels from the U.S. and United Kingdom have already been struck in the Strait of Hormuz.

He noted in a post on X that one-third of global urea trade passes through the strait, according to Kpler.

The hostilities will also disrupt natural gas shipments through the strait, which could lead to higher fertilizer production costs.

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Gaurav Jain, analyst with AgPulse Analytica, expects the Government of India to hike the existing 10 per cent duty to 30 per cent as of April 1, 2026.

The government has repeatedly told farmers that it will purchase up to 100 per cent of their 2026 lentils, pigeon peas and black matpe at its minimum support prices (MSP).

“If there is a need, they will buy all of it,” said Jain.

The government is already actively buying pigeon peas and black matpe and will soon be acquiring lentils.

Bridging import, MSP price gap

The MSP for lentils equates to US$771 per tonne, while imported lentils are selling for about $600 per tonne after the 10 per cent duty.

That means the government would be losing about $171 per tonne if it purchased lentils from farmers at the MSP and then sold the crop at the prevailing market price.

That’s why Jain and many other industry officials in India believe the government will increase the duty to 30 per cent after the existing 10 per cent duty expires on March 31.

WHY IT MATTERS: India is the top market for Canadian lentils.

That would increase the price of imported product to about $710 per tonne after additional expenses to clear customs and transport the product from port to inland markets.

That would still be below the MSP, but many Indian farmers would choose to sell to private traders because it’s less hassle.

That would ease the burden on the government while raising prices for farmers.

Exporters rush shipments ahead of deadline

Jain thinks a duty hike is inevitable.

“That is why you see a lot of shipments happening in January and early February,” he said.

Lineups of ships destined for India have been strong since December in Canada and Australia as exporters try to take advantage of the 10 per cent duty while it’s still in place.

He anticipates movement to slow down substantially in March.

Exports to Pakistan, Bangladesh and the United Arab Emirates are also expected to subside in late February and March because Ramadan demand from those markets is already fed and they’re entering a post-Ramadan lull.

High yield forecasts soften prices

AgPulse is forecasting 1.78 million tonnes of Indian lentil production as the crop approaches harvest. That would be up from the five-year average of 1.51 million tonnes.

Stat Publishing is more optimistic, forecasting 1.99 million tonnes of production.

Either way, it’s expected to be a big crop, and that’s pushing down lentil prices in the country.

Chuck Penner, analyst with LeftField Commodity Research, said with red lentil prices at multi-year lows, he too worries the government will increase import tariffs beyond the existing 10 per cent.

He told farmers attending the Saskatchewan Pulse Growers’ recent Swift Current winter pulse meeting that anything above 30 per cent would not be good for export prospects.

Opportunity rises for green lentil exports

The good news out of India? The country’s short pigeon pea crop, which is sending prices higher and creating opportunity for imported green lentils.

Prices for green lentils have been significantly higher than pigeon peas in India since late 2023.

“Now that we have this thing flipped around, I think we’re going to open the door for more movement of green lentils,” said Penner.

Jain is forecasting India will import one million tonnes of all types of lentils in 2026-27, down from 1.25 million tonnes this crop year, 1.22 million tonnes the previous year and 1.68 million tonnes in 2023-24.

Export outlook dims

This year’s big crop, the anticipated increase in import duties and good carryover from previous years, will all combine to limit imports.

Jain thinks Kazakhstan will grow more lentils in 2026-27, while Turkey’s production should rebound, which could also limit Canada’s exports in the coming year.

“If Canada has an average crop, it may find it difficult to market,” he said.

The Indian government has still not made a decision on lentil tariffs as of Feb. 19.

Lentil market outlook: India import duty hike

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AgraCity is a Saskatchewan-based crop input provider that was granted creditor protection by the Saskatchewan Court of King’s Bench on Dec. 1, 2025.

Jason Anderson, a grain farmer from SexSmith, Alta., is owed $74,000 of product from AgraCity.

He prepaid for herbicides and MicroPhos fertilizer for the 2025 growing season. Some of the product arrived but not all of it.

WHY IT MATTERS: A lot of Prairie farmers have paid for and are owed product — and are also worried about investments they made.

As he was applying the fertilizer that he had received, Anderson was informed that the remaining 60 tonnes would not be coming, so he was forced to make alternative plans.

“With egg on your face, you go begging to your local retailer that you kind of quit dealing with, which really sucked,” he said.

“But they were fantastic and helped me out.”

He had to do the same thing with the herbicides AgraCity shorted him, dipping into his line of credit to finance the duplicate purchases.

Humphrey Banack, a grain farmer from Round Hill, Alta., has purchased a lot of product from the retailer over the years.

A few years ago, he ordered glyphosate from AgraCity that never showed up.

“We kind of swore, ‘we’re not doing that anymore,’ and then we did. We went back to them,” he said.

Banack ordered $21,000 of fungicide from the retailer in the fall of 2024 for the 2025 crop because it was offering by far the best price for the product.

He never received the fungicide and was not offered a refund.

Alternatives

The two Alberta farmers are not alone. Court documents show that 1,228 farmers were owed $32.4 million of product as of June 2025 when the firm’s liquidity problems came to light.

An affidavit filed by AgraCity president Jason Mann claims that customers with orders for approximately $24 million of that total agreed to receive alternative product.

Anderson is one of those customers. He agreed to receive $32,000 of wild oat herbicide, broadleaf herbicide and an herbicide for his pea crop.

AgraCity pushed hard for him to order more product and use up his entire $74,000 credit, but he didn’t want to order product he doesn’t really need.

He is still waiting for the $32,000 of replacement product to arrive. Anderson said he keeps calling his AgraCity sales rep, who repeatedly assures him that the shipment is being organized and will soon be on its way.

Part of the $74,000 he is owed is a $10,000 investment in a glyphosate production facility that never materialized.

“I thought it was a fantastic idea,” he said.

“If they could have got it off the ground, that would have been the greatest thing.”

Anderson has never seen a breakdown of what he is owed, so it is hard to keep track of everything.

“It’s just so frustrating to realize that so much of this turned sideways because of a family feud more so than anything,” he said.

He is referring to a lengthy legal battle between Jason and Jim Mann, brothers who are listed by the court-appointed monitor as directors of the various AgraCity Group of companies.

Banack did not get an offer for replacement product.

He hopes whoever buys AgraCity’s assets will reimburse him what he is owed.

“I go to bed dreaming about it,” he said.

However, when he wakes up, he realizes it is probably unrealistic to expect full compensation from the new owner.

“If you were taking on a business, would you be interested in shipping out ($32.4) million worth of product for nothing?” he said.

“It’s hard for me to expect to have full compensation, but what kind of compensation am I going to get?”

Stalking horse

Banack is also an investor in Genesis Grain and Fertilizer, a fertilizer distribution centre in Belle Plaine, Sask., which is part of the AgraCity Group of companies.

He thinks he invested about $10,000 in that venture. Banack hopes whoever purchases that facility continues to operate it and provides returns to all the farmer investors.

Peter Chisholm, Ernst and Young senior vice-president and court-appointed monitor, said the fate of those farmer investors depends on what happens during the sales process.

“Creditors would have to be paid in full before there would be funds available to any limited partnership unit holders or investors,” he said.

Qualified bidders had an opportunity to submit a non-binding letter of intent to purchase the AgraCity assets by Feb. 6.

The best offers will be selected to participate in phase 2 of the process, where parties will be required to submit binding offers to acquire part or all the business.

The original deadline for that process was Feb. 16, 2025, but it is being extended to a yet-to-be-determined date.

United Farmers of Alberta has been chosen as the stalking horse bidder, agreeing to a base bid of $20 million for the assets, with the right-of-first-refusal to top any winning bid by $2 million.

Anderson thinks UFA would be a good buyer.

“They’re a big enough company and they’ve got a large enough footprint if they could grab ahold of this, I think it could be very successful,” he said.

Banack does not care who ends up with the assets, as long as he and other farmers get paid what they are owed.

“I hope it turns out for everybody and that includes us getting the product we paid for,” he said.

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Chris Davison, president of the Canola Council of Canada, hasn’t had a chance to do a deep dive into the proposed regulation, but he likes what he has seen on the surface.

“On first blush, there are a number of provisions that can certainly help support Canadian canola’s access to the U.S. biofuel market,” he said.

It took one year for the U.S. Department of the Treasury and the Internal Revenue Service to clarify how the credit will work.

The credit has been available since January 2025, but producers and farmers have struggled to capitalize on it because there was minimal guidance to accompany the credit.

The newly published guidance helps biofuel producers determine their eligibility for and to calculate the credit made available under the One, Big, Beautiful Bill.

WHY IT MATTERS: The U.S. biofuel sector could be a huge customer for Canadian canola oil.

Davison is pleased to see that the credit limits feedstocks to those grown or produced in the U.S., Mexico and Canada.

“That’s a critical provision in terms of helping ensure that the economic benefits of biofuel accrue back to farmers domestically from the (Canada-U.S.-Mexico Agreement) countries,” he said.

It means biofuel made from used cooking oil and tallow from overseas markets does not qualify for the credit.

Canada’s canola industry is advocating for similar measures to be included in Canada’s Clean Fuel Regulations amendments.

The updated 45Z guidance also confirms that fuel made from Canadian canola is an approved pathway and that the indirect land use change penalties associated with agricultural feedstocks have been removed.

Biofuel is a policy-driven market, and there is one big remaining piece of that puzzle, which is when the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency establishes its Renewable Volume Obligations (RVOs) for 2026 and 2027.

The EPA has floated a proposal that imported biofuel and biofuel made with imported feedstock would be assigned half as many Renewable Identification Number (RIN) credits as fuel made with domestic feedstocks.

That idea has been embraced by groups such as the American Soybean Association but strongly opposed by Canada’s canola sector.

The EPA recently said it expects to issue its final RVO rule during the first quarter of 2026.

Davison said the 45Z credit and the RVO ruling will strongly influence Canada’s canola oil sales to the U.S. market.

He is pleased to see that the first domino appears to have fallen in the right direction.

“This is a positive development and we should recognize that,” he said.

“It recognizes that Canadian canola is an important feedstock for biofuel producers in the U.S. as well as Canada.”

Crux, a capital markets platform for the clean economy, estimates that US$1 billion in 45Z credits were transacted in 2025.

It anticipates the new guidance will unlock an additional $1 to $1.5 billion in credits by the end of the third quarter of 2026.

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The credit has been available since January 2025, but producers and farmers have struggled to capitalize on it because there was minimal guidance to accompany the credit.

WHY IT MATTERS: The U.S. biofuel sector is a potentially huge market for Canadian canola oil.

The newly published guidance helps biofuel producers determine their eligibility for and to calculate the credit made available under the One, Big, Beautiful Bill.

The big news for Canada’s canola producers is that the credit limits feedstocks to those grown or produced in the United States, Mexico and Canada.

That is something that Canada’s canola industry had been hoping for.

The credit has also been extended to Dec. 31, 2029.

Clean Fuels America welcomed the proposed 45Z rules.

“The agency responded to many taxpayer concerns and resolved some uncertainties from the guidance issued a year ago. We anticipate this proposal will provide additional market certainty for biodiesel and renewable diesel producers,” Kurt Kovarik, Clean Fuels’ vice-president of federal affairs, said in a press release.

“The delay in rule-making led to market uncertainty that took a heavy toll on our industry, undercutting fuel production and the value added to agriculture.”

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“I got a good bid from a broker today that is $0.50 a bushel better than it was,” said the chair of Pulse Canada.

“We still have a way to go. We were getting $12 to $14 a bu. a year ago for peas and now it’s more like eight bucks.”

China agreed to eliminate tariffs on Canadian peas and canola meal and to greatly reduce tariffs on canola seed in exchange for concessions on imports of Chinese electric vehicles.

WHY IT MATTERS: Peas were facing tariffs in its top two markets.

Youzwa said that agreement has lifted the gloom and doom that has been hanging over the pea market since March 2025.

“Today we look ahead with some optimism,” he said.

“We look forward to those signals entering the marketplace and creating some optimism. It is definitely a good day.”

He expects further price increases once grain handlers figure out all the logistics. There should be enough time to move old crop peas in a meaningful way before the next crop comes off in August and September.

That’s a good thing because working capital has been depleted on many farms, and growers are having to sell crops to meet cash flow requirements and pay the bills.

Youzwa said there is still plenty of time for farmers to adjust their seeding plans to factor in the new realities of China reopening to peas and canola.

He added that the price boost canola and peas will be getting should also lift prices for other crops competing for acres in 2026.

The Canadian Canola Growers Association sponsored a study by LeftField Commodity Research that determined Canada’s canola farmers have lost $2 to $4 billion from the closure of the Chinese market.

The CCGA intends to lobby Ottawa for compensation for that loss.

“In the case of pulses, we haven’t crossed that bridge yet,” said Youzwa.

He said growers prefer to get their returns from the marketplace, but the losses have been significant.

The five-year average of Canadian pea movement to China is 1.6 million tonnes per year valued at $743 million annually.

Pea growers not only lost the Chinese market but are facing 30 per cent tariffs in India as well.

Those two markets account for 75 to 80 per cent of Canada’s annual pea exports, so the impact on peas is more pronounced than it has been for canola.

Prices are down about 43 per cent, said Youzwa.

However, the pulse sector is still uncertain whether it wants to follow canola’s lead in lobbying Ottawa for financial aid.

“Time will tell where this goes,” said Youzwa.

“We haven’t reached that decision as an organization.”

In the meantime, he is looking forward to a “transparent, commercial and meaningful” trade relationship with China getting back on track.

“This is a positive for exporters, processors, railways, ports and growers,” he said.

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