Pulse growers in the United States have a new market after a recently announced program from the U.S. Department of Agriculture allocated US$75 million to purchase peas, lentils, beans and chickpeas.
Canadian pea and lentil exports were down in November, with total movement of the two pulses during the 2025/26 (Aug/Jul) crop year-to-date running behind the year-ago pace, according to the latest international trade data from Statistics Canada released Jan. 29
Although the price increases for Canadian yellow peas have started to slow, there could be more of the peas planted come spring, said Kress Schmidt, broker with Johnston Grains in Calgary.
Pulse Canada was relieved when China announced the removal of 100 per cent tariffs on Canadian yellow peas on Jan. 16, but work still needs to be done in India.
Pulse production in the United States failed to live up to earlier expectations in 2025, according to updated production estimates from the U.S. Department of Agriculture released Jan. 12, 2026.
Lentils and peas will be among those pulse crops facing challenges not only in January, but also for the rest of the 2025/26 marketing year and possibly beyond that, said Marlene Boersch of Mercantile Consulting Venture Inc. in Winnipeg.
Tariffs were a major influence on Canadian yellow pea prices in 2025, with levies imposed by China and India. The two countries are Canada’s biggest foreign pulse buyers.
Prices for green and yellow peas have dropped back across the Prairies over the last week. One of the major downward drivers was the Statistics Canada production report released earlier this month, said Levon Sargsyan of Johnston’s Grain in Calgary.