Canadian Red & Green Lentils

1. Which Canadian lentil classes are traded?

Commercial trade separates red lentils (red cotyledon, usually sold whole or split and dehulled) from green lentils (yellow cotyledon with a green or green-brown seed coat). Green lentils are further described by seed size, broadly large, medium and small, and buyers often specify a variety type. The Saskatchewan Pulse Growers report seeded-area shares of about 68 percent red, 22 percent large green, 8 percent small green and 2 percent other lentil types (S3). Other specialty types exist in smaller volumes and should be named exactly in an inquiry.

2. How are Canadian lentil grades named?

Each CGC table has four numbered grades: No. 1 Canada, No. 2 Canada, Extra No. 3 Canada and No. 3 Canada, followed by lower grades where No. 3 specifications are not met (S1). The colour class is part of the grade name, for example "Lentils, No. 2 Canada Red". Size is added only on written request and only where the sample meets the size definition, for example "Lentils, No. 1 Canada Large" (S5). For grades No. 1 to Extra No. 3 the variety must be registered under the Seeds Act; No. 3 accepts any variety (S1).

3. Which terms appear in lentil contracts?

Degree of soundness, natural colour, contrasting colours, copper and bleached seeds (red lentils), stained seeds, peeled, split and broken, heated, other damage, total damage, wrinkled seeds (red lentils), ergot, excreta, insect parts, sclerotinia, stones, other foreign material, total foreign material, dockage, straight, tough and damp moisture, crop year, official grade certificate, phytosanitary certificate, fumigation certificate, certificate of origin, Incoterms and lot or vessel sampling.

4. Who buys Canadian lentils?

Buyers include importers and traders in South Asia, the Middle East, North Africa, Europe and Latin America; splitting and dehulling mills that produce split red lentils (masoor dal); food manufacturers making soups, ready meals, snacks and flours; ingredient processors fractionating pulse protein and fibre; and retail packers and wholesale distributors. Requirements differ: a splitting mill values uniform size and dehulling yield, while a retail packer values colour, cleanliness and appearance.

5. Which factors decide the grade?

The CGC tables set limits for contrasting colours, heated seeds, peeled, split and broken seeds, other damage, total damage, ergot, excreta, insect parts, sclerotinia, stones, other foreign material and total foreign material, and for stained seeds in lentils other than red (S1). Red lentils also have limits for copper-coloured and bleached seeds and for wrinkled seeds (S1). The degree of soundness steps down from "good natural colour" at No. 1 to "poor colour" at No. 3 (S1).

6. Which moisture levels apply?

The CGC moisture specifications class red lentils as straight grade below 13.1 percent, tough at 13.1 to 16.0 percent and damp above 16.0 percent; lentils other than red are straight below 14.1 percent, tough at 14.1 to 16.0 percent and damp above 16.0 percent (S2). A contract can set a tighter moisture limit than the grade requires. State whether you need the official moisture result on the certificate or a separate analysis at loading.

7. How is lentil size specified?

Under the CGC sizing rule, a sample is "Large" when 97 percent or more remains on a No. 15 round-hole sieve and "Small" when 80 percent or more passes through a No. 12 round-hole sieve; otherwise no size is indicated (S5). Many buyers also specify a commercial size range or seed count per weight, or a variety type, especially for green lentils. Write the size requirement and the method you will use to check it into the inquiry.

8. Which quality points sit outside the grade?

The official grade does not cover every buyer requirement. Importers and processors frequently add pesticide residue limits set by the destination market, cooking time or water uptake, dehulling and splitting yield for red lentils, colour measurement, seed-coat damage, absence of specified weed seeds, and microbiological criteria for ready-to-eat uses. Residue limits in particular differ by importing country and are the buyer's responsibility to state; this page does not confirm compliance with any market's limits.

9. How are lentils cleaned and prepared for export?

Lentils are cleaned to remove dockage, stones, weed seeds and broken seeds, then sized, colour-sorted where required and, for red lentils, often dehulled and split before shipment or at destination. Cleaning determines whether a lot meets the foreign-material and stones limits of the grade (S1). Specify whether you require whole lentils, split lentils or football (dehulled, unsplit) red lentils, and whether colour sorting is needed.

10. Why does crop year matter?

Harvest conditions change colour, damage and moisture from year to year, and the CGC revises its grade tables for each crop year (S1). Buyers usually state the crop year required, accept or exclude older crop, and request an arrival or loading sample. New-crop lentils are normally available after the Canadian harvest; confirm timing with the exporter rather than relying on a general calendar.

11. How should lentils be stored and transported?

Keep lentils dry, cool and protected from insects and moisture migration. Container shipments can suffer condensation when moving between climates; dry lots, clean containers and, where required, liners or desiccants reduce the risk. Many destinations require fumigation or insect-free certification; confirm the treatment, product and timing your import authority accepts.

12. How are Canadian lentils used?

Whole and split lentils for retail and food service; split red lentils for dal; lentil flour for bakery, pasta and snacks; ready meals and soups; protein and fibre ingredients; and some feed use for off-grade lentils. Each use has its own priorities, so state the end use: a flour mill and a retail packer will specify the same grade differently.

13. How are export shipments inspected and graded?

The CGC grade tables define what each grade means (S1); they do not by themselves certify a particular lot. Whether a shipment receives official inspection depends on how it moves. The CGC states that grain exported from Canada in ships must be inspected by the CGC, which issues a Certificate Final for each such export shipment, and that shipments to the United States are exempt from this requirement (S6). For grain not exported by vessel, such as containers, the CGC asks exporters to contact it about available services (S6); under its voluntary Accredited Container Sampler Program, an accredited company takes an official sample and the CGC inspects it and issues an official certificate (S7). Phytosanitary certification is separate and follows the importing country's requirements (S4). Buyers may also appoint an independent inspection company to sample at loading or discharge. State the shipment mode, which official or independent inspection you require, who arranges and pays for it, where sampling occurs, and whether the certificate is final for grade and weight. The exact certification route for a given shipment should be confirmed with the exporter and the CGC.

14. Which documents may be required?

Common documents include an official CGC certificate (a Certificate Final for vessel exports, or a certificate for container lots where official sampling and inspection are arranged; S6, S7), phytosanitary certificate, certificate of origin, fumigation certificate, weight certificate, bill of lading, commercial invoice and packing list. The CFIA issues phytosanitary certificates only when the importing country requires one as a condition of import, and the certificate date must not be more than 14 days before the shipment leaves Canada (S4). Requirements differ by destination and shipment type; not every shipment needs every document.

15. Which destination markets are documented?

The Saskatchewan Pulse Growers name India as the largest market for Canadian lentils, followed by Türkiye and the United Arab Emirates, and state that Canadian lentil exports averaged 2.1 million tonnes from 2019 to 2023 (S3). The same source states that red lentils go to a few main buyers (India, Türkiye, Bangladesh and the UAE), small green lentils to India, Algeria and Morocco, and large green lentils to Colombia and Spain (S3). Destination rankings change from season to season.

16. Which packaging and shipment formats are used?

Formats include bulk in containers with liner bags, bags of various weights in containers, bulk bags (FIBC) and, for large programmes, bulk vessels. Bag weight, bag material, printing, palletising and labelling language are buyer specifications. State the format, net weight per unit and container load target in the inquiry.

17. What commercial terms should be stated?

State the Incoterms rule and named place, payment terms, required documents, inspection and its cost, tolerance on quantity, shipment period, demurrage and claims procedure. PAXOMER does not publish lentil prices on this page; prices move with crop size, quality, freight and demand, and any price would come from a producer or exporter for a specific requirement.

18. What should a lentil export inquiry include?

• Lentil class (red, large green, small green or other) and form (whole, split, football).
• Official grade and size designation, or the buyer's own specification.
• Destination country and port, and any import permit conditions.
• Quantity, unit, packaging and shipment window.
• Moisture, foreign material, residue, colour and other quality limits.
• Crop year, inspection, fumigation and certification requirements.

Submit these through the export inquiry.

19. What does PAXOMER need before evaluating a supply arrangement?

Company name and country, the buyer's role (importer, processor, distributor), the end use, annual and per-shipment volumes, the destination's import requirements, and the documents and inspection you need. PAXOMER reviews whether a suitable producer or exporter channel can be identified for that requirement. No producer or exporter arrangement for lentils is established at present, and this page does not offer supply.

20. Which related pages should be read next?

• Canadian yellow peas, green peas and chickpeas
• North American dry edible beans
• Canadian durum wheat and milling grain

Import and purchasing FAQs

Each answer is general technical information, not a specification or a quotation.

What grades of Canadian lentils can be requested?

What is the difference between red and green lentils for importers?

What moisture should I specify for Canadian lentils?

Which documents are needed to import Canadian lentils?

Can PAXOMER quote a price for Canadian lentils?

How do I submit a lentil purchasing requirement?

Technical References

References below were opened on the access date shown. A source supports only the statement it is cited for. Standards are cited by number and title from public catalogue entries; their full text was not read unless stated.

1. S1. Official Grain Grading Guide, Chapter 18: Lentils — primary and export grade determination tables. Canadian Grain Commission, 2026-08-01. www.canada.ca/en/grain-commission/services/grain-quality/official-grain-grading- (opens in a new tab) regulatory · accessed 2026-10-30
   Opened 2026-10-30; grade names, variety rule and the limits in the grade table were read from this page.
2. S2. Official Grain Grading Guide, Chapter 2: Moisture specifications. Canadian Grain Commission, 2026-08-01. www.canada.ca/en/grain-commission/services/grain-quality/official-grain-grading- (opens in a new tab) regulatory · accessed 2026-10-30
   Opened 2026-10-30; straight, tough and damp ranges for red lentils and lentils other than red.
3. S3. Lentil market opportunities. Saskatchewan Pulse Growers, date not stated. saskpulse.com/growing-pulses/lentils/lentil-market-opportunities/ (opens in a new tab) industry body · accessed 2026-10-30
   Opened 2026-10-30; cited for world position, 90 percent Saskatchewan share, 2.1 million tonne average exports 2019–2023, market names by class and seeded-area shares.
4. S4. D-99-06: Policy on the issuance of phytosanitary certificates for export and for re-export. Canadian Food Inspection Agency, 2024-04-22. inspection.canada.ca/en/plant-health/invasive-pests-and-plants/directives/export (opens in a new tab) regulatory · accessed 2026-10-30
   Opened 2026-10-30; certificates are issued only where the importing country requires one; certificate date not more than 14 days before export.
5. S5. Official Grain Grading Guide, Chapter 18: Lentils — determination of size. Canadian Grain Commission, 2026-08-01. www.canada.ca/content/canadasite/en/grain-commission/services/grain-quality/offi (opens in a new tab) regulatory · accessed 2026-10-30
   Opened 2026-10-30; Large and Small size definitions using No. 15 and No. 12 round-hole sieves.
6. S6. Official grain inspection. Canadian Grain Commission, date not stated. grainscanada.gc.ca/en/grain-quality/services-fees/official-grain-inspection/ (opens in a new tab) regulatory · accessed 2026-10-31
   Opened 2026-10-31; cited for mandatory CGC inspection of grain exported in ships, the Certificate Final, the exemption for shipments to the United States and the contact route for other shipments.
7. S7. Accredited Container Sampler Program (ACSP). Canadian Grain Commission, date not stated. www.grainscanada.gc.ca/en/industry/grain-safety/accredited-certified-programs/ac (opens in a new tab) regulatory · accessed 2026-10-31
   Opened 2026-10-31; cited for the voluntary program under which accredited samplers take official container samples and the CGC issues an official certificate.

Regional production and trade evidence

Government and industry publications cited in Production Regions & Export Markets. Each supports only the statement it is cited for (checked 29–30 October 2026). Naming a company here does not state or imply a relationship with PAXOMER.

1. R60. Lentil market opportunities (markets by class; about 90 percent of Canadian lentils grown in Saskatchewan; page undated, data 2019-2023). Saskatchewan Pulse Growers. saskpulse.com/growing-pulses/lentils/lentil-market-opportunities/ (opens in a new tab) checked 2026-10-30