Thank you to everyone who attended the 2024 Pulse and Special Crops Convention in Winnipeg last week! As the organizers of this world-class event, we’re consistently humbled by the culture our delegates, new and old, embrace when brought together. If you missed it, here are just a few of the key takeaways from our sessions:
💡The Indo-Pacific is expected to increase the global middle class by 30 percent by 2035. With over 40 markets in the Indo-Pacific, a Canadian presence with the newly established Indo-Pacific Agriculture and Agri-Food Office in Manilla allows us to nurture relationships and keep a sustained presence, which are necessary business tactics to maintaining and grow opportunities in the region. IPAAO has initiatives underway to support this market.
💡Canada saw 480,000 acres of chickpeas this year, expanding by 52% since 2001/02. However, the U.S. acres also grew, which will affect Canadian exports. That said, there are opportunities for new markets for chickpeas, which will be something to focus on for the year ahead.
💡The potential for growth in new uses for chickpeas was a common theme throughout the convention. Consumers see chickpeas as providing a lot of nutrients and are willing to try them in new applications, like chickpea flour in sandwich bread.
💡For 2024/25, Canadian pulse supplies are expected to be modestly higher, with yellow peas relying heavily on just two key importers. While restocking is providing some support to green peas, ongoing export competition and a limited, vulnerable recovery for other pulse varieties persist. Looking ahead, trade rulings may have ripple effects, with Canadian farmers reluctant to expand acreage.
💡Increased productivity is the single most important step towards closing both a food gap and emissions gap, which can be achieved through finding efficiencies. Global Outlook analyst J.P. Gervais says don’t underestimate the compounding effect of small gains, scale where possible and adopt new tech to shift the production possibilities.
💡In the human food sector, pulse flours, fractions, and whole pulses can be utilized in various applications, including meats, dairy, and cereals, although adoption has historically been slow. The pet food market presents significant volume and value opportunities , that are more immediate and, as fractionation capacity expands, starches will increasingly enter both food and non-food markets. While the animal feed market is price-sensitive, the push for net-zero emissions aligns well with sustainable feed supported by pulse ingredients. Small, consistent gains in the pulse industry, alongside a diversified global portfolio, will benefit the entire sector in the long run.
For almost 40 years, we’ve gathered the leading buyers, sellers and service providers in the industry for the largest event of its kind in North America. Thanks to all our delegates, speakers, sponsors and exhibitors for making the 2024 PSCC another huge success.
