Chickpea farmers see rising popularity

Demand for hummus to thank for record crops

WINNIPEG— The rising appetite for hummus is driving Canada’s farmers to plant the biggest chickpea crop in 11 years. They’re poised to plant 140,000 hectares this season, more than double what was sowed last year, the agriculture ministry said last week in a report.

At the same time, they’re reducing the area planted with other so-called pulses, such as peas and lentils, amid steep import tariffs in India, the biggest buyer.

Chickpeas are hardy, helping them to survive in the Prairies’ current dry spell, said Corey Loessin, chairperson of the board at industry group Saskatchewan Pulse Growers.

But the major factor for farmers is price. A metric ton of chickpeas will probably fetch as much as $980 in the 2018-19 crop year, more than double what lentils will get and nearly four times more than dry peas, according to government data.

Those rising prices are underpinned by strong demand, driven by the increasing popularity of hummus and other vegetarian staples.

Chickpea growers in the U.S. are also poised to plant a record acreage this year as more Americans look to purchase healthier, gluten-free snacks.

“The increasing consumption of hummus has had a big impact,” Loessin said by telephone.

“Chickpeas is one of the pulse crops that’s really easy to sell.”