Pulse Canada is taking a more active business-to-business role in continuing trade relationships with customers in China and India.
The Canadian government has had a rocky relationship with both nations in recent years, with neither country rolling out the red carpet for Canadian government officials. Jeff English, Pulse Canada’s Vice President of Marketing & Communications, notes China granted access for pulse crops in other markets, including peas from Russia and Kazakhstan. China had been Canada’s number one pea customer until last year but English says there are other opportunities in China as well for pulse crops such as fababeans and lentils.
“A lot of that does rely on a functioning government-to-government relationship – part of that is beyond our control but what we can do is advocate for the science and for the relationship that we have formed over decades of work with China.” English said.
Last month, Pulse Canada President Greg Cherewyk and Chair Terry Youzwa led a diplomatic and trade mission to China to speak with long time yellow pea customers. Pulse Canada has put together webinars in Mandarin to assist its marketing efforts.
“It also includes providing resources for companies who are either interested in working with Canadian peas or who have worked with Canadian peas but perhaps lack some of the technical expertise or some of the pre-competitive research which we have done here and to share,” English added.
While Canada’s market share for peas in China shrunk in 2024, there was a huge rebound in India, which regained the position as Canada’s number one pulse customer. India has exempted imports of Canadian peas since December of 2023 and is set to expire at the end of February. India’s exemption of Canadian lentil imports expires at the end of March and English says they’re advocating for an extension.
“Next week in fact we have a delegation going over – India has a bi-lateral meeting, a pulse conclave as they call it, so it’s a big get together of the global pulse industry, but also taking the time to sit down with Indian officials, Indian industry representatives and ensure that they know Canada’s position that we are a dedicated high-quality supplier and have been for years and can play an active role in helping them secure their food security needs.” English added.
Pulse crop representatives from India were also in Western Canada during the 2024 harvest to give them a sense of the quality, size, and scale of operations in Canada while continuing to build on that existing relationship, said English.
“2024 we were successful in that and 2025 is of course a year that brings new challenges.” he added.
English spoke on Tuesday at a Saskatchewan Pulse Growers Regional Meeting in Saskatoon.
(with files from Neil Billinger, CJWW)