Chickpea supply shortage ahead, industry warns

New data suggests hummus, the dip made from chickpeas, may soon become more expensive to serve in Canada and around the world.

As global droughts and extreme weather damage crops and supply chain disruptions impact distribution, chickpeas are the latest food item to be affected, according to data provided to CTVNews.ca by the Global Pulse Confederation (GPC), a non-profit organization representing various industry sectors.

The GPC suggests that chickpea supplies could fall by nearly 20% this year, boosting world prices for the protein-rich bean.

In Canada, GPC data indicates a 17% decline in seeded area for the 2022-2023 crop cycle.

With Russian sanctions and the ongoing invasion of Ukraine further disrupting supply chains, GPC foresees the possibility that European demand for chickpeas will be diverted to Canada.

But Canada may not be able to meet the increased demand.

Statistics Canada projects that the approximate amount of chickpeas produced in Canada in 2022 to 2023 will be approximately 110 kilotonnes. (One kiloton equals 1,000 tons.)

By comparison, the 2020 to 2021 crop cycle produced 214 kilotonnes of chickpeas in Canada.

Without saying when the current war in Ukraine will end, the GPC predicts that the average global cost of pulses will increase by 12% this year.