U.S. pulse demand outpacing supply

Voracious demand for pulses in the United States is bumping up against a lackluster supply of peas, lentils and chickpeas this year. Tony Roelofs, trader with Columbia Grain, said fractionation plants and the U.S. pet food industry have been the main drivers of demand. He said the U.S. is going to need to import record volumes of peas from Canada and other markets this year. "We've certainly seen pet food demand continue to grow," Roelofs told delegates attending a recent Ask the Experts webinar put on by the Global Pulse Confederation. "Through the pandemic pet ownership continued to drive higher and higher and higher and people need to feed those pets." Mark Boryski, a trader with AGT Foods, said 80 to 90 percent of the yellow peas grown in the U.S. are sold in that market if government food aid purchases are taken into account. Export markets can't contend with food aid tenders that sometimes jump by US$3 to $4 per bushel. And markets like China and Bangladesh can't compete ...