Pulse Demand Grows as Per Capita Usage Declines

VANCOUVER - Jan 6/10 - SNS -- From a Canadian perspective, the fact that demand for our pulses is steadily growing masks the fact that world demand for pulses is slowly decreasing, STAT Publishing said in a special report prepared for the Saskatchewan Pulse Growers Association last September.

"Reversing that trend is probably more than just a marketing issue," the report's author, Brian Clancey, said.

"Around the world, there are clear links between what people eat and what they produce locally. In areas without a tradition of pulse consumption, building interest is a marketing challenge. In areas where pulse production is declining and people are moving away from the crop, it may be a more complex problem.

"If imported pulses do not have the same cooking and taste characteristics, consumers may not be as keen to eat as much as in the past. If imported pulses cost more, the poorest consumers may eat more of a cheaper food alternative. If local farmers grow less pulses, less are consumed on the farm, and 'traditional' cooking will evolve away from foods which incorporate pulses into foods which may not include pulses."