Pea, Lentil Outlooks Get More Burdensome

An already burdensome supply-demand picture for 2025-26 Canadian lentils and peas is now looking even worse. 

In updated supply-demand estimates released Wednesday that reflect larger-than-expected production, Agriculture Canada raised its ending stocks estimates for both crops from last month to new record highs. 

At 1.565 million tonnes, projected dry pea stocks are up from 1.2 million in November and more than three times higher than last year’s 489,000. If accurate, dry pea stocks would shatter the previous high of 910,000 notched in 2009-10. 

Meanwhile, lentil ending stocks are seen at 1.535 million tonnes this month, up from 1.145 million in November and up sharply from 549,000 in 2024-25. The previous high for lentil stocks was in 2017-18 at 873,000 tonnes. 

With this month’s increase, the stocks-to-use ratios for peas and lentils now sit at a hefty 54% and 63%, respectively. 

Statistics Canada’s Dec. 4 crop production report raised this year’s dry pea crop to an estimated 3.934 million tonnes, up from the federal agency’s model-based projection in September of 3.563 million. Lentil output was reported by StatsCan at 3.363 million tonnes in December, versus 2.972 million in September.