India vegetarians hit by high lentil prices as Canada crop shrinks

Winnipeg

A YEAR after record deluges damaged the lentil crops in Canada, vegetarians across India are getting sticker shock for the legumes that they eat at almost every meal.

Stockpiles in Canada, the world's biggest exporter, are down by half from a year earlier, government data show. At the same time, shipments to India, the top buyer, are headed to an all-time high after a dry spell reduced its domestic output. That has boosted prices for all kinds of similar crops, including chickpeas and dried beans.

"We're going to be sold out this year," with supply remaining tight at least until the Canadian…