Pulse crops tariffs concern farmers

The tariffs India imposed on imports of pulse crops last fall are expected to affect how much land Canadian farmers seed this year. The Asian country is charging a 50per-cent duty on pea imports and 30 per cent on chickpeas and lentils.

Dan Mazier of Manitoba’s Keystone Agricultural Producers points out that India is the biggest importer of Canada’s pulse crops, so the tariffs are bound to have an impact.

Simon Ellis, co-owner of Ellis Seeds in Wawanesa, Man., says sales for seeds have already noticeably dropped and he expects fewer hectares to be planted in the spring.

On Tuesday, Ellis took to Twitter to urge Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, Agriculture Minister Lawrence MacAulay and Foreign Affairs Minister Chrystia Freeland to make the Indian tariffs a priority.

He is encouraging anyone affected by the tariffs to let elected officials know.

“They need to really get over there and do what they can to work out trade issues there as quickly as possible” Ellis says.

Farmers he’s spoken with about the issue say “it’s actually had a sizable impact,” he added.

On the plus side, a pea-processing plant that recently broke ground in Portage la Prairie should serve as a boon to the industry in Manitoba, Mazier says.

Rather than export raw product, greater value will be added locally, serving as an economic driver closer to where it is produced, he predicts.

Hollywood movie director and celebrity James Cameron has also been drawing attention to pulses in recent months as the result of his investing in a Saskatchewan pea-processing plant.

Any time a celebrity endorses the agricultural industry it’s a good thing, says Mazier, who adds that Cameron has helped shine a light on the benefits of pulses, such as their ability to serve as an alternative source of protein.

“The world markets, are looking for these plant proteins, which can help out the rest of the food chain.”