Canada: Healthy pea sales on pace but India actions uncertain

Canada’s pea exports are off to a torrid start in 2024-25. Bulk shipments were 1.12 million tonnes through week 14 of the crop year, up from 720,000 tonnes at the same time one year ago, according to the Canadian Grain Commission. The total does not include container shipments, which account for 30 to 40 percent of sales, Chuck Penner, analyst with LeftField Commodity Research, said in a recent article he wrote for Alberta Pulse Growers. Detailed sales information is only available for the first two months of the crop year. It shows India was the biggest buyer, purchasing 387,100 tonnes of the pulse, followed by China at 222,400 tonnes. Penner said the pace of exports is well above the five-year average and will need to slow down later in the year. “Keep in mind, there’s a lot of uncertainty in the rest of 2024-25, particularly in the third and fourth quarters,” he said. “This includes the potential return of Indian tariffs on yellow peas, as well as India’s rabi (winter) ...