(Image Credit: (supplied photo/farmnewsNOW Staff))

By Alice McFarlane

Discussing trade in India

Sask. premier to be part of a trade mission to India

Feb 25, 2026 | 10:29 AM

Premier Scott Moe will leave for India later today to join a Canadian delegation led by Prime Minister Mark Carney.   

The federal government wants to rejuvenate free trade discussions with India.    

Canada is selling pulse crops to India, but there is a 30 per cent tariff on yellow peas introduced in November, as well as a more manageable 10 per cent tariff on lentils. India imposed these tariffs on all countries, not only Canada, to protect its domestic farmers.   

 In speaking to reporters yesterday in Saskatoon, Moe said there are several meetings being planned. 

“We’ll be meeting with, whether it’s Minister Jaishankar, hopefully Minister Goyal, a few others that we’ve met with previously, the Minister of Agriculture, to engage on what the opportunity is for the tariff removal for Saskatchewan and Canadian pulse crops,” Moe said.  

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There will be talks with other senior government officials. Moe said a few people he has met previously.  

“We still do have pulse crops that are moving to India and to other markets around the world,” he said. “We’ll engage on having those tariffs reduced or removed, or if they’re not removed for anybody at a point when they are, they should be reduced for Canada first.”  

Moe said Saskatchewan is proud to be the consistent ally and reliable supplier of the food and energy the people of India depend on. 

“India is one of the province’s largest and most important trading partners and it is vital that we continue to build and strengthen this longstanding relationship. It is only through our international engagement efforts that we will be successful in resolving challenges and creating new opportunities,” Moe said. 

Moe is one of two premiers on the trade mission to India. The other is New Brunswick Premier Susan Holt.   

The Saskatchewan Premier accompanied Prime Minister Carney on a trade mission to China late last year. During that visit, the Chinese government announced it would eliminate a hefty tariff on peas and sharply reduce tariffs on canola seed.  

This mission will run from Feb. 28 to March 6, 2026. 

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alice.mcfarlane@pattisonmedia.com