Indian market reopens to peas

India is temporarily lifting its import tariffs and restrictions on peas.

President of Pulse Canada Greg Cherewyk says they received word Thursday night that India was temporarily opening the market for peas.

"We received a notice from the Indian government that suggested that the duties applied to peas had been eliminated or lifted through to the end of March 2024. After seeking some additional clarification on the rest of those restrictions, we have since learned that the other restrictions have also been lifted. So effectively, the Indian market is open for peas from today through to the end of March 2024."

In November of 2017, India raised tariffs on all pulses from all origins to maximum levels, and then in 2018, they layered on some additional restrictions. 

They put minimum price restrictions on top of that, they put a quantitative restriction of 150,000 tonnes in place and unlimited entry to one particular port, the Port of Kolcata. 

He says for all intents and purposes, they shut the door to imports of peas in the early part of 2018.

"The market had been a been a really important market for Canadian peas. Leading up to that point, we had shipped anywhere between 900,000 tonnes and 1.3 million tonnes. And in the span of, you know, six months or so that market completely disappeared for us. "

Cherewyk says news that the market has reopened is very significant for producers adding that while the March 31st deadline seems tight it's something that the industry feels they can work with.