Canadians are invited to share their thoughts as the federal government negotiates trade agreements with India, Thailand, the United Arab Emirates and the Mercosur bloc.
Indian farmers have ramped up planting of winter crops including wheat, rapeseed (canola) and chickpea, putting the country on track for record acreage as abundant soil moisture enables cultivation even in typically rainfed areas that often remain fallow.
India’s government is considering guaranteeing Canada ongoing pulse crop sales so its farmers keep growing the vital protein source, Indian High Commissioner to Canada Dinesh Patnaik said during a visit to Saskatchewan.
As trade talks between Canada and India are soon to restart, Pulse Canada said it’s looking for any deal arising out of those talks to be beneficial for Canadian pulse growers.
Canada and India are working to rebuild trade ties and explore new areas of cooperation after a two-year chill, with Ottawa keen to restart trade negotiations under “a new process”, Canadian Trade Minister Maninder Sidhu said on Thursday
China and India figured prominently in the September export data issued by the Canadian Grain Commission on Nov. 7. For the most part, the CGC’s numbers highlighted issues with grain, oilseed and pulse exports from licensed facilities to those countries.
Pulse Canada is quite unhappy with the Indian government’s recent move to slap a 30 per cent tariff on its yellow pea imports, said the pulse organization’s board chair Terry Youzwa.
Indian farmers’ hopes for bumper crops following this year’s abundant monsoon rains were dashed by heavy downpours just before harvest that damaged their fields.
India and Canada agreed on Monday on a new roadmap for relations after two years of strained ties. India is a key market for Canadian pulses like lentils and yellow peas.