EVENT SPOTLIGHT: 2024 Pulse & Special Crops Convention

For almost four decades the Pulse & Special Crops Convention (PSCC) has been integral to building and strengthening business connections throughout Canada’s pulse sector. The event, hosted annually by the Canadian Pulse and Special Crops Trade Association (CPSC), is the largest of its kind in North America and plays a key role in promoting Canadian pulses and special crops to a global audience. In September 2024, PSCC welcomed over 370 delegates from over 20 countries to downtown Winnipeg to learn, network and share insights on the future of the sector.

Here are some of the session highlights for growers to know:   

• 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. 

• 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 (IPAAO) 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. 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. 

• In the human food sector, pulse flours, fractions, and whole pulses offer potential across meats, dairy, and cereals, though adoption remains gradual. The pet food market shows immediate growth opportunities, while expanding fractionation capacity means more pulse starches will enter both food and non-food markets. In animal feed, the push for net-zero emissions aligns with sustainable, pulse-based options. Small, steady gains and a diversified global portfolio will continue to benefit the pulse sector over time. 

Delegates come to PSCC to reconnect and forge new relationships that strengthen Canada’s pulse industry well beyond the convention. With planning underway, the 2025 Pulse & Special Crops Convention promises to build on the success of past events, offering fresh opportunities for the pulse industry to connect, learn, and grow. Set against the scenic backdrop of Whistler, British Columbia, PSCC 2025 will continue to foster collaboration across the supply chain, showcasing Canada as the world’s preferred supplier of pulses and special crops.

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