A corporation that represents pea, lentil and bean growers in Saskatchewan says it helps a brand new federal funding meant to spur diversification amongst its buying and selling companions.
Canada’s agriculture minister introduced Tuesday a $75-million funding over 5 years to broaden export actions into new, non-traditional markets and assist sectors most affected by commerce limitations.
“This added funding will assist our sector entry new markets, strengthen interprovincial commerce and construct extra resilience within the face of world challenges,” stated Heath MacDonald, minister of agriculture and agri-food, at an unrelated coverage breakfast in Ottawa.
This system builds on the present AgriMarketing Program and provides funding for 2 new streams: nationwide trade associations and small and medium-sized enterprises.
Organizations can apply for funding to broaden export actions, with precedence given to sectors most impacted by commerce limitations, resembling pulses and canola, in keeping with a information launch from Agriculture and Agri-Meals Canada.
“There are alternatives all around the world, however we are able to’t unfold ourselves too skinny. We now have to focus on our markets and go after them,” stated MacDonald.
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The federal authorities’s funding is being well-received by the nationwide trade affiliation representing pulse growers.
“Any funding in serving to us diversify and serving to us discover new avenues, new makes use of, new methods to place extra pulses on extra plates world wide is one thing that we assist,” stated Jeff English, vice-president of public affairs at Pulse Canada.
In January, Canada struck a commerce cope with China to take away the 100 per cent tariffs on Canadian yellow peas, efficient March 1 via the top of the 12 months.
China imposed this tariff in March 2025 in response to Canada’s beforehand imposed 100 per cent tariff on Chinese language electrical automobiles and a 25 per cent import tax on metal and aluminum.
However India’s 30 per cent tariff on Canadian yellow peas stays in place, one thing native pulse producer associations say is a cause the trade must diversify its buying and selling companions.
“The extra diversified we’re, the much less of an influence that will likely be, and we’ll have stronger costs for farmers on the finish of the day,” stated Carl Potts, government director of Saskatchewan Pulse Growers.
Potts stated his affiliation is exploring methods to faucet into different markets worldwide, together with the Indo-Pacific and Latin America areas.
Alongside diversifying its buying and selling companions, the group can also be centered on rising demand for different merchandise in new markets, resembling pet meals and animal feed. This, in keeping with Potts, was a technique that helped bolster pea imports into China 20 years in the past.
“On the time, they may have been importing possibly 200,000 tonnes a 12 months, however we labored with native trade and consultants available in the market to assist develop extra demand for peas,” stated Potts.
“We’ve grown that right into a market of over two million tonnes in some areas.”
Alongside discovering new markets, the heartbeat grower associations say they’re additionally persevering with to advocate for strengthened relations with present buying and selling companions and sit up for new alternatives to take action — from CUSMA renegotiations to a possible India journey by Prime Minister Mark Carney.
“As the federal government does its job by way of constructing a stronger relationship with India, we’re doing issues in lockstep as nicely,” stated English.
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