Canada’s Growing Regions

Canada's large and diverse agricultural land base is ideally suited for growing a range of pulse crops including pea, lentil, bean and chickpea. More than 2.3 million hectares are seeded to pulse crops each year. Long sunny days and suitable soil conditions provide Canada with a natural production advantage, which is enhanced by the use of the latest farm management technology and research. Cold winters not only protect Canadian pulses from disease and insects, but also reduce storage quality concerns.

Canadian pulse production peaked in 2010 at more than 5.7 million tonnes, with pulse production normally in the range of 4.5 to 5 million tonnes per year. The value of Canadian pulses exports alone exceeded $2.7 billion in 2011. Quebec and Ontario produce bean crops (a wide array of coloured beans as well as the white navy bean). Manitoba produces white and coloured beans, as well as peas and lentils. Saskatchewan is the largest producer of peas, lentils and chickpeas with a small bean industry, and Alberta produces beans under irrigation as well as peas, lentils and chickpeas.

The following map shows where each variety of pulse is grown: