North America farms swop wheat for pulses to meet demand in Asia

Chicago

THE humble pea is taking over.

With vegetarians in Asia hungry for lentils, chickpeas and other sources of protein, North American farmers are swopping out wheat in favour of pulses - plants harvested for their dry seeds, such as legumes. AGT Food and Ingredients Inc, the world's largest exporter of peas and lentils, says farmers in Canada are poised to seed record acres of the crops this year.

"We have to recognise that the demand for vegetable protein in the emerging markets and in Asia is continuing to ri…