Canadian pulse sector welcomes new funding

Federal funding announced last week will help Pulse Canada reach its goal to have 25 percent of production in new markets or uses by 2025, the organization says. Federal agriculture minister Marie-Claude Bibeau announced nearly $4.2 million for Pulse Canada and about $128,000 for the Canadian Special Crops Association. About $2.3 million will be used for the 25 by 2025 strategy. Julianne Curran, vice-president of market innovation at Pulse Canada, said the strategy is customized for peas, beans and lentils based on the volumes grown. For peas, the plan is to leverage the growth in pea protein fractionation and processing. “There’s a lot more volume of those ingredients that can be used in not only plant-based products but things like bakery and even processed meats,” she said. The target is 1.1 million tonnes of new processing and Curran said Pulse Canada is well on its way to meeting that. The strategy also includes promoting the sustainability of Canadian peas to food ...