Pulse Acreage Pt 2
I’m Bob Larson. Peas, lentils and chickpeas, better known as garbanzo beans, are all important crops in the Pacific Northwest as more attention is paid to healthy diets and sustainable crops.
CEO of the USA Dry Pea and Lentil Council, Tim McGreevy says Eastern Washington has become the top chickpea producer in the U.S. …
McGREEVY … “You know, the big demand for hummus and now chickpeas are being used in all kinds of different plant-based food applications from, you know, extreme snacks to baked goods to just, you name it, we’re in pastas, we’re just in a lot of different products now. And that’s also true for peas and lentils.”
But peas, McGreevy says aren’t as common here as they once were …
McGREEVY … “Ahh, we’re not doing as many peas in this region as we used to because it’s been, there’s been a shift towards more lentils and chickpeas.”
But the peas we do grow, McGreevy says are top notch …
McGREEVY … “We still produce this super high quality green pea for canning in this region, in Washington and Idaho that’s still quite sought after and gets a premium in the marketplace.”
Thanks to trade tariffs, total pulse sales in 2020 dropped to $500-million, about half of what they were at their peak in 2018.
Much of the increased demand for pulses can be attributed to the growing popularity of plant-based foods.
