Federal, Sask. agriculture ministers hope to grow pulse market

Federal and provincial governments are hoping new investment will improve the future of Canadian pulse markets.

On Monday at a meeting with Canadian Pulse Growers, the federal minister of agriculture and agri-foodannounced the federal government will be dishing out over $575,000 to Pulse Canada.

"The pulse industry is having some difficulty, but the potential is strong for the pulse industry over the years," said Lawrence MacAulay.

The money will allow Pulse Canada to move forward with market research and help find new markets for the product.

The breakdown

Investment money will be allotted to the following projects:

• $178,500 to explore new markets in China, Eastern Asia, the United States and Canada.
• $221,680 for promoting pulses to the Canadian food service industry.
• $175,720toward Chinese pulse innovation and researching health benefits of grain seed-based snacks.

Tariffs in place

Saskatchewan's agriculture minister said Canadian markets have felt significant impacts since India one of the pulse crops' biggest export markets introduced tariffs.

• 'A huge loss to our producers': Restrictions on pulse exports to India driving prices down
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"India is our biggest market by far make no mistake for pulse crops," said Lyle Stewart.

"We're sitting on a crop we can't market, so a half-million dollars right now to find some new markets will be helpful," he said.