Canada's total lentil exports projected to reach 2.3 million tonnes
21-Jul-2026 04:59 PM
Ottawa. Canada, the world's leading producer and exporter of lentils, has projected that exports of this key pulse will surge to 2.3 million tonnes in the current 2025-26 marketing season (August-July); this figure includes estimated shipments of 1.5 million tonnes of red lentils and 0.8 million tonnes of green lentils. India, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), and Turkey are the top three buyers. Meanwhile, domestic consumption of lentils in Canada is expected to decline to 0.25 million tonnes.
Consequently, Canada's total carry-over stock of lentils at the end of the 2025-26 marketing season is likely to jump to a record high of 1.42 million tonnes. The average market price for all lentil varieties and grades in Canada was recorded at approximately $510 per tonne this season, significantly lower than the previous year. Prices remain under pressure due to robust production and massive stocks. The average price of large green lentils remained $45 per tonne higher than that of red lentils.
Canada's lentil sowing area for the current year contracted by 11 percent compared to last year, falling to 1.58 million hectares. Approximately 88 percent of the lentil acreage was located in the province of Saskatchewan, with the remaining 12 percent distributed across Alberta and Manitoba.
While total lentil production in Canada is expected to drop to 2.65 million tonnes, the record carry-over stock of 1.42 million tonnes could push total availability to a peak of 4.07 million tonnes. The Ministry of Agriculture has projected lentil imports from Canada at 2.3 million tonnes for the 2026-27 marketing season, while anticipating that the closing stock—after accounting for domestic consumption—will rise to a new record level of 1.54 million tonnes.
Despite this, average prices for bold green lentils and red lentils may remain somewhat high. Demand within the Indian subcontinent is expected to remain largely normal. Meanwhile, in the US, the area sown with lentils has shrunk by 30 percent, stalling at 750,000 acres.