MarketsFarm — Canadian pulse exports continued at a solid pace through most of the 2022-23 marketing year, although recent disruptions on the West Coast may cut into the final total.
Roughly a quarter of all Canadian pea exports, a third of the lentils, and all the chickpeas typically move by container, with a strike by British Columbia port workers in early July hindering some movement.
That labour stoppage was resolved after 13 days, and the Port of Vancouver announced that it was “actively working to clear the backlog of ships waiting to enter (the port) caused by the recent labour strike.”
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Canada has exported 1.972 million tonnes of lentils by the end of May, with Turkey the top destination at 562,500 tonnes followed by India at 501,000 tonnes, according to Statistics Canada data. That compares with 1.300 tonnes of lentil exports through May of the previous crop year.
Pea exports of 2.312 million tonnes are up by 42 per cent compared to the same time the previous year, with China accounting for nearly 1.3 million tonnes of the total. Other major importers of Canadian peas include Bangladesh, the U.S. and Pakistan.
Canada has exported 203,300 tonnes of chickpeas through the 2022-23 crop year-to-date, with the U.S. the top destination, followed by Turkey. The exports through May were well above the 136,000 tonnes that moved through 10 months the previous year.
Large green lentils are currently trading in the 56-58 cents/lb. range in Western Canada, according to Prairie Ag Hotwire data, with new-crop bids as high as 55 cents. Old-crop red lentils top out at 34 cents/lb., with the new crop only slightly lower at 33 cents.
Green peas delivered to the elevator are trading at roughly $13-$14 per bushel, with yellow peas in the $8.75-$12.80 per bushel area. New-crop pricing for the two crops top out at $13.80 and $10 per bushel respectively.
Large-calibre Kabuli chickpeas are currently trading at around 44 to 45 cents/lb., according to Prairie Ag Hotwire, with new-crop bids topping out at 44 cents/lb.
— Phil Franz-Warkentin is an associate editor/analyst with MarketsFarm in Winnipeg.
