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India’s tariff on pea imports expected to affect planting of pulse crops

Jan 3, 2018 | 1:45 PM

BRANDON, Man. – The tariffs India imposed on imports of pulse crops last fall are expected to affect how much land Canadian farmers seed this year.

The Asian country is charging a 50 per cent duty on pea imports and 30 per cent on chickpeas and lentils.

Dan Mazier of Manitoba’s Keystone Agricultural Producers points out that India is the biggest importer of Canada’s pulse crops, so the tariffs are bound to have an impact.

Simon Ellis, co-owner of Ellis Seeds in Wawanesa, Man., says sales for seeds have already noticeably dropped and he expects fewer hectares to be planted in the spring.

On Tuesday, Ellis took to Twitter to urge Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, Agriculture Minister Lawrence MacAulay and Foreign Affairs Minister Chrystia Freeland to make the Indian tariffs a priority.

Ellis is encouraging anyone affected by the tariffs to let elected officials know.