India not among top three importing countries of lentils and peas from Canada in March
07-May-2025 10:52 AM
Vancouver. Due to extremely weak demand from India, exports of lentils and peas from Canada fell sharply in March compared to February.
India, typically the most prominent buyer of these pulses, dropped out of the top three importing countries during March.
Improved domestic supply and stable prices in India have led to reduced interest from Indian importers in purchasing Canadian pulses.
According to data from Canadian government agency Stats Can, Canada exported 2,18,978 tonnes of lentils in February 2025, which declined to 81,226 tonnes in March.
The highest shipments of lentils in March were to the United Arab Emirates (16,089 tonnes), the United States (10,634 tonnes), and Colombia (10,338 tonnes).
India did not feature among the top three importers. However, over the first eight months of the current marketing season (August 2024 to March 2025), total lentil exports from Canada rose to 15,20,958 tonnes—significantly higher than the 11,93,393 tonnes exported during the same period in 2023-24.
Regarding peas, although India has permitted duty-free imports of yellow peas, imports from Canada have been minimal.
Stats Can data shows that total pea exports from Canada in the first eight months of the current season dropped to 17,80,055 tonnes, down from 21,53,127 tonnes during the same period last season.
In February 2025, Canada exported 1,64,836 tonnes of peas, which fell to just 51,833 tonnes in March. In March, Canada’s major pea buyers were China (19,956 tonnes), the US (10,765 tonnes), and the Philippines (4,928 tonnes), with India absent from the list.
Meanwhile, Canada’s exports of Kabuli gram increased from 20,472 tonnes in February to 23,223 tonnes in March. The major importers were Pakistan (7,669 tonnes), the US (4,288 tonnes), and Italy (1,683 tonnes).
India's imports of Kabuli gram from Canada remained negligible or non-existent. Canada is also concerned about the future of its exports, as the deadline for duty-free yellow pea imports into India may expire soon.