(Alice McFarlane/farmnewsNOW Staff

By Alice McFarlane

Pulse crops

Endless pulse possibilities in province

Mar 15, 2019 | 3:44 PM

There is tremendous potential for growth in pulse crop production and food processing in Saskatchewan.

Speaking at a recent seminar in Regina, Protein Industries Canada Chief Marketing Officer Tiffany Stephenson said Western Canada has an unparalleled opportunity to supply plant protein to emerging markets.

“The demand for plant protein should double in the next five years,” Stephenson said. “We know there’s about three billion more people in Asia’s middle class who will be looking to incorporate plant protein into their diets and, you know, we’re already a powerhouse in the commodities. No other jurisdiction can match us in canola and pulse growing so there’s our advantage to give the world what it wants.”

Stephenson said there is a focus on the creation of new products from existing commodities and adding value to the product.

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“There’s a lot of opportunity in the snack food market and even more importantly as an ingredient in food but also in livestock feed and aquaculture market.”

Stephenson said while there is a lot of talk about emerging economies we can’t forget the domestic market by making pulse or plant based protein food more accessible and easier to incorporate as an ingredient.

“You go to the grocery store and you buy a bag of lentils but how do you move beyond that to a ready to consume product like snack foods, whether it’s a granola bar made out of plant protein to add nutritional benefit,” Stephenson said. “It’s really about taking Canada’s strength in agriculture production overall and bringing all those strengths to the table to solve problems, to be innovative, to enter new markets, create new products and all those things that makes us ready to put some new products on the table.”

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alice.mcfarlane@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: @AliceMcF