Pulses Market

How big is Pulses Market in 2026?

USD 87.1 billion in 2026 and USD 144.0 billion by 2036 at a 5.2% CAGR.

Demand for pulses is projected to expand at 5.2% CAGR between 2026 and 2036, lifting valuation from USD 87.1 billion in 2026 to USD 144.0 billion by 2036. Processors can shift dry seeds between whole-food sales and milling programs as end-use specifications change. FAO documented in February 2025 that more than 100 pulse types are cultivated and consumed worldwide. The varietal breadth gives millers more sourcing choices without moving outside the defined dry-pulse market.

Local harvest conditions change import dependence and produce different country growth paths. The UK is forecast at 6.7% CAGR and Japan at 4.7% during the assessment period. Defra recorded 202 thousand hectares of UK pulse area in 2025 following a 9.9% annual decline. British food and feed processors therefore face greater origin-switching pressure than Japanese processors tied to concentrated domestic bean supply.

Key Takeaways

• Food manufacturers and bulk handlers sustain pulse demand as the same dry crop serves staple foods, ingredient milling, prepared foods, and feed channels.
• Based on product type, dry beans are projected to account for 37.0% in 2026 owing to standard crop classes and mature trading specifications.
• By nature, conventional is estimated to hold 94.4% in 2026 attributable to wider origin choice and lower segregation requirements in mainstream channels.
• In 2026, whole is expected to lead form with 46.6% share driven by storage flexibility and later conversion into split or milled specifications.
• Weather-led crop variation can disrupt moisture and grade specifications between harvests. Food manufacturers then face renewed qualification work even where aggregate pulse supply remains available.
• Some of the key players in this market include Archer Daniels Midland Company, AGT Food and Ingredients Inc., Ardent Mills, Avena Foods Limited, Bunge Global SA, Louis Dreyfus Company B.V., Ingredion Incorporated, and Anchor Ingredients Co., LLC.

Analyst Perspective

"Pulse contracts deserve closer scrutiny on crop-year consistency and cleaning yield than on quoted commodity price alone. Food manufacturers gain more from processors that hold moisture and particle specifications without forcing repeated reformulation after origin changes."

- Nandini Roy Choudhury, Principal Consultant, Future Market Insights

How is the U.S. processors prioritize visual quality and varietal consistency for traditional pulse-based food applications. segmented?

The pulses market is segmented by product type, nature, form, and end use application.

By product type, the analysis covers dry beans, chickpeas, dry peas, cowpeas, lentils, pigeon peas, faba beans, and vetches. Nature separates conventional and organic supply. Form covers whole, flour, and split material. End use application includes B2B, food and beverage, household or retail, nutraceuticals, store-based retail, animal feed, pharmaceuticals, and food service.

How do Commercial processors evaluate B2B End use?

Commercial processors aggregate large crop volumes upstream of finished foods and retail packs during routine contract purchasing. Traders and millers purchase against grade specifications. They then direct qualified lots into pulse ingredients according to customer requirements. Other lots enter chickpea flour programs where particle size and release records form part of routine commercial qualification.

• B2B is set to lead the end use application category with 40.8% share in 2026 owing to bulk purchasing ahead of downstream conversion or distribution.
• Ingredion received September 2025 IFANCA certification covering Homecraft Pulse CT 4201 chickpea flour at MSI Express. The certification gives industrial customers documented product status beyond crop availability.

What makes Dry beans central to the Product type category?

Dry beans trade through several recognized crop classes with familiar grading and cleaning rules. Their storage stability lets packers move qualified lots between retail packs and industrial bean flour programs without changing the underlying crop specification during seasonal sourcing.

• Based on product type, dry beans are projected to account for 37.0% in 2026 owing to their broad cuisine base and mature trade specifications.
• USDA NASS reported in January 2026 that US dry edible bean production reached 26.9 million cwt during 2025. Commercial scale still gives packers several bean classes despite the annual production decline recorded during 2025.

Why does Conventional lead the Nature category?

Conventional pulses fit high-volume food and feed purchasing since origin choices are broader than certified organic routes. Food manufacturers can still impose moisture and safety requirements without narrowing the farm base to certified acreage. Conventional lots also enter clean label flour programs that do not require organic certification.

• By nature, conventional is estimated to hold 94.4% in 2026 attributable to the wider sourcing pool available for mainstream food and wholesale channels.
• Avena Foods launched ARAP pulse ingredients in July 2025 using conventional farms first with seed-to-dock traceability. The program documents farm practices without forcing every commercial lot into an organic certification route.

What supports Whole as the leading Form category?

Whole pulses preserve the standard dry-seed trading unit until millers decide whether splitting or pulse flour production is justified. Importers can store and grade the crop first. Qualified lots can then move toward household packs or further processing once inspection is complete.

• In 2026, whole is expected to lead form with 46.6% share driven by storage flexibility and later-stage conversion into split or milled specifications.
• FAO published in February 2025 that global pulse production approached 96 million tonnes during 2022. Global production at that scale sustains whole-seed handling since processors choose the final form once customer specifications are known.

What are the drivers, restraints and opportunities in the Pulses Market?

Broad food and feed utility expands demand, crop variability complicates specification control, and application-specific milling gives processors a higher-value route within the defined market.

• Driver: Pulse protein and fiber let the same crop base serve staple foods alongside processed-food and feed formulations.
• Restraint: Weather-sensitive yields alter crop quality and origin availability, forcing processors to repeat grading or formulation work between harvests.
• Opportunity: Controlled pulse flours reduce preparation steps for industrial users and extend qualified demand into bakery, cereal, coating, and snack applications.

Pulse nutrition gives food manufacturers a demand base that is less dependent on one finished application. FAO stated in February 2025 that pulses contain 19% to 25% protein and can be milled for bread or pasta. The crop profile supports staple foods and gives plant-based protein formulators a familiar base for higher-protein recipes.

Crop variability becomes a commercial restraint once manufacturers contract against narrow moisture or sensory specifications. Defra said water stress during flowering and pod fill limited UK field-pea yield potential in 2025 following a sharp contraction in planted area. Food and animal feed protein processors therefore need origin flexibility since available crop volume can still miss a required grade.

Industrial users pay more readily for pulse forms that remove preparation work from functional flour lines and other factory formulations. ADM launched a neutral-color pea flour in May 2026 for baked goods, cereals, batters, and breadings. Controlled milling can also prepare chickpea material for higher-value chickpea protein programs without counting downstream food revenue.

Which country CAGRs are profiled in the Pulses Market?

Country	CAGR
UK	6.7%
Germany	6.2%
South Korea	5.2%
Japan	4.7%
USA	3.6%

How do country-level CAGRs compare in the Pulses Market?

The profiled countries form two commercial bands instead of a growth ladder. The UK and Germany exceed 6.0% CAGR with South Korea occupying the middle at 5.2%. Japan matches the global 4.7% pace and USA grows slightly slower. The 2.0-point spread reflects sourcing structure more than current market scale.

• UK food channels split pulse volume between retail processing and feed demand.
• German millers pair local crops with regular imported pulse supply routes during seasonal contracting.
• South Korean distributors depend on stable landed costs for regular bean consumption.
• Japanese processors emphasize visual grade and varietal consistency in traditional food applications.
• U.S. processors prioritize visual quality and varietal consistency for traditional pulse-based food applications.

Comparable CAGRs therefore produce different contract risks since sourcing routes differ materially.

The full report provides country-level CAGR analysis across North America, Latin America, Europe, East Asia, South Asia, Oceania and the Middle East and Africa.

Country-wise Analysis

• UK pulse handlers are operating with less domestic material after field-pea area contracted during the previous season, increasing reliance on flexible import origins. The UK pulses sector is projected to record 6.7% CAGR during the assessment period, helped by regular food and feed outlets. Defra recorded 202 thousand hectares of pulse area in July 2026 and cited water stress during field-pea flowering as a yield constraint. Processors therefore need contracts that permit origin switching without losing moisture or grade specifications during food-grade qualification and feed scheduling. Importers with multiple origins can protect service more effectively than firms tied to one domestic harvest window.
• German millers entered 2026 with a larger domestic pea and field-bean crop, giving cleaning plants more local material before imported lots are booked. BMLEH's July 2026 market report put the 2025 grain-legume harvest near 851,800 tonnes and linked the increase mainly to stronger dry-pea output. Germany's pulses outlook is anticipated to advance at 6.2% CAGR over the assessment period, attributable to broader local crop supply. Human-food programs still compete with feed outlets for lots that meet color and processing requirements during seasonal contracting. Millers with separate food-grade handling can capture more domestic volume without accepting feed-grade variability into qualified recipes.
• Quota access sets landed cost for South Korean importers before mung and red beans reach domestic distributors, making allocation timing part of annual commercial planning. MAFRA set the 2026 WTO tariff-rate quota for mung and red beans at 14,694 metric tons with state trading and auction allocation. Adoption of pulses in South Korea is estimated to expand at 5.2% CAGR through 2036, propelled by regular consumption and structured import access. Distributors holding quota allocation can quote firmer landed costs than firms purchasing outside the lower-duty route during annual buying cycles. The constraint is administrative timing because missed allocation windows can raise costs even when overseas bean supply remains available.
• Japanese confectionery and prepared-food processors rely heavily on Hokkaido for domestic adzuki supply, which concentrates weather exposure in one principal production region. MAFF reported in March 2025 that Hokkaido supplied 97% of Japan's 2024 adzuki harvest and confirmed the crop's geographic concentration. Familiar bean uses keep repeat purchasing steady. Slower population growth limits the pace of volume expansion relative to the European markets profiled. Pulses sales in Japan are forecast to expand at 4.7% CAGR by 2036, aided by familiar applications and stable demand from traditional foods. Processors that qualify alternative origins can reduce disruption risk without abandoning the visual and cooking specifications required for sensitive products.
• U.S. processors source pulses from diverse growing regions, reducing reliance on a single production area. Strong demand across canned foods, soups, snacks, and plant-based products supports repeat purchasing. However, mature consumption patterns may moderate volume growth compared with faster-expanding markets. Pulses sales in the USA are expected to grow steadily through 2036, supported by established applications and rising interest in nutritious, plant-based foods. Processors with diversified sourcing can improve supply resilience while maintaining the quality, size, and cooking characteristics required for traditional and processed foods.

Who are the notable companies in the Pulses Market?

Archer Daniels Midland Company, AGT Food and Ingredients Inc., Ardent Mills, Avena Foods Limited, Bunge Global SA, Louis Dreyfus Company B.V., Ingredion Incorporated, and Anchor Ingredients Co., LLC are the notable companies serving this market.

The competitive field separates bulk origination from specialty milling and application qualification. AGT Food and Ingredients Inc. and Louis Dreyfus Company B.V. have deeper pulse trading exposure. Ardent Mills and Avena Foods Limited control more processing steps ahead of customer delivery. Ingredion Incorporated and Archer Daniels Midland Company concentrate more on pea protein ingredients and industrial flour applications. Bunge Global SA and Anchor Ingredients Co., LLC extend coverage through crop origination and logistics.

• AGT Food and Ingredients Inc., Bunge Global SA, and Louis Dreyfus Company B.V. compete most directly through crop origination, cleaning, trading, and export logistics.
• Ardent Mills and Avena Foods Limited differentiate through controlled chickpea, lentil, pea, or bean processing with traceability and food-manufacturing support.
• Archer Daniels Midland Company, Ingredion Incorporated, and Anchor Ingredients Co., LLC participate through milled ingredients, qualification records, or specialized handling services.

Competitive Benchmarking: Pulses Market

Company	Pulse Form Breadth	Processing & Traceability Control	Food-Application Qualification Depth	Geographic Reach
Archer Daniels Midland Company	Low	Medium	High	Global
AGT Food and Ingredients Inc.	High	High	Medium	Global
Ardent Mills	High	High	High	North America
Avena Foods Limited	High	High	High	North America and international sales
Bunge Global SA	Medium	High	Medium	Global
Louis Dreyfus Company B.V.	High	Medium	Medium	Global
Ingredion Incorporated	Low	High	High	Global
Anchor Ingredients Co., LLC	Medium	High	Medium	North America and international sourcing

Scoring basis: High pulse form breadth requires three documented whole, split, flour, or ingredient routes. Medium requires two routes and Low requires one. High processing and traceability control requires owned processing plus documented origin controls. Medium reflects one controlled processing chain and Low reflects trading without equivalent evidence. High application qualification depth requires three documented food-use or certification groups. Medium requires two and Low identifies one verified group.

Key Developments in the Pulses Market

• In April 2026, Avena Foods Limited joined SAI Platform and began work to verify regenerative practice outcomes among conventional and organic oat and pulse farmers. The action extends farm-level evidence within a processor already selling traceable pulse ingredients.
• In July 2025, Ardent Mills entered an agreement to acquire Stone Mill in North Dakota. The facility processes identity-preserved grains, pulses, and seeds and extends microbial-reduction capability to Ardent Mills' specialty ingredient network.
• In July 2025, Bunge Global SA completed its merger with Viterra Limited. The combination expanded an agribusiness network that buys and exports pulses through Australia and other crop-origin regions.

Key Players in the Pulses Market

Pulse Origination and Trading Platforms

• AGT Food and Ingredients Inc.
• Bunge Global SA
• Louis Dreyfus Company B.V.

Specialty Pulse Milling Platforms

• Ardent Mills
• Avena Foods Limited

Food Ingredient and Processing Platforms

• Archer Daniels Midland Company
• Ingredion Incorporated
• Anchor Ingredients Co., LLC

Pulses Market - Report Scope

Coverage field	Report scope
Market breakdown	By product type, nature, form, end use application, and region.
Quantitative Units	USD Billion.
Market Definition	Mature dry edible pulse seeds sold whole, split, or milled for food, feed, retail, and industrial ingredient uses within the defined taxonomy.
Regions Covered	North America, Latin America, Europe, East Asia, South Asia and Pacific, and Middle East and Africa.
Countries Covered	UK, Germany, Spain, South Korea, Japan, and 20+ countries included in the full report.
Key Companies Profiled	Archer Daniels Midland Company, AGT Food and Ingredients Inc., Ardent Mills, Avena Foods Limited, Bunge Global SA, Louis Dreyfus Company B.V., Ingredion Incorporated, and Anchor Ingredients Co., LLC.
Forecast Period	Base 2026 to 2036.
Approach	Primary and secondary research with market triangulation.

Pulses Market - Research Methodology

Method	Approach
Primary Research	FMI analysts gathered input from manufacturers, service providers, technology developers, distributors, end users, procurement teams, and subject-matter experts. Interviews examined purchasing decisions, product or service evaluation, adoption barriers, approval requirements, pricing considerations, and expectations for technical or commercial support. Respondents were also asked what evidence is required before a trial, pilot, or initial order develops into regular purchasing.
Desk Research	Desk research covered government statistics, regulatory publications, trade data, industry associations, technical literature, standards, company filings, product information, and official corporate announcements. Sources were reviewed for relevance, publication date, geographic coverage, and consistency with the defined market scope. Claims relating to performance, applications, approvals, capacity, investment, and commercial activity were retained only when supported by credible public evidence.
Market Sizing and Forecasting	The market model combined the baseline value with historical performance, segment structure, pricing and volume indicators, adoption levels, company participation, and country-level demand conditions. Forecast assumptions considered economic activity, investment trends, regulatory developments, technology adoption, purchasing cycles, supply availability, and barriers to wider market use. Segment and regional estimates were reconciled before the final market total was calculated.
Data Validation	Estimates were checked against multiple independent indicators, including public data, company activity, trade patterns, industry developments, and findings from primary interviews. Validation also tested whether products, services, applications, and company revenues fell within the defined market boundaries. Adjacent categories, unsupported claims, overlapping revenues, and activities without direct market relevance were excluded to reduce double counting and maintain consistency across segments and countries.

Pulses Market by Segments

Pulses Market segmented by Product Type:

• Dry Beans
• Chickpeas
• Dry Peas
• Cowpeas
• Lentils
• Pigeon Peas
• Faba Beans
• Vetches

Pulses Market segmented by Nature:

• Conventional
• Organic

Pulses Market segmented by Form:

• Whole
• Flour
• Split

Pulses Market segmented by End Use Application:

• B2B
• Food & Beverage Industry
• Household/Retail
• Nutraceutical Industry
• Store-based Retail
• Animal Feed Industry
• Pharmaceutical Industry
• Food Service (HoReCa)

Pulses Market by Region:

• North America
  • United States
  • Canada
• Latin America
  • Brazil
  • Mexico
  • Chile
  • Rest of Latin America
• Western Europe
  • Germany
  • United Kingdom
  • Italy
  • Spain
  • France
  • Nordics
  • Benelux
  • Rest of Western Europe
• Eastern Europe
  • Russia
  • Poland
  • Hungary
  • Balkan and Baltic States
  • Rest of Eastern Europe
• East Asia
  • China
  • Japan
  • South Korea
• South Asia and Pacific
  • India
  • ASEAN
  • Australia and New Zealand
  • Rest of South Asia and Pacific
• Middle East and Africa
  • Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
  • Other GCC Countries
  • Türkiye
  • South Africa
  • Other African Union Countries
  • Rest of Middle East and Africa

Research Sources and Bibliography

• Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. (2025, February 10). World Pulses Day 2025 | Pulses: Bringing diversity to agrifood systems.
• Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. (2025, February 10). FAO highlights pulses as seeds of hope for the transformation of agrifood systems.
• USA Department of Agriculture, National Agricultural Statistics Service. (2026, January 12). Crop Production 2025 Summary.
• Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs. (2026, July 29). Chapter 7: Crops.
• Avena Foods Limited. (2025, July 21). Launching Avena Regen Ag Protocol Oat and Pulse Ingredients.
• Ingredion Incorporated. (2025, September 26). IFANCA Halal Product Certificate.
• ADM. (2026, May 20). ADM Advances Protein Innovation with New Ingredient Solutions.
• Federal Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Regional Identity. (2026, July 3). Marktbericht Hülsenfrüchte 2025.
• Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food. (2026, July 8). El Ministerio de Agricultura, Pesca y Alimentación estima que la producción de cereales para la campaña 2026/27 superará los 18,5 millones de toneladas.
• Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs. (2025, September). Management Plan of WTO TRQ 2026.
• Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries. (2025, March 7).
• Avena Foods Limited. (2026, April 29). 2026 Pre-Seeding Crop Report for Gluten Free Oat and Pulse Market.
• Ardent Mills. (2025, July 31). Ardent Mills Enters Agreement to Acquire Stone Mill in North Dakota, Expanding Emerging Nutrition Portfolio.
• Bunge Global SA. (2025, July 2). Bunge and Viterra Complete Merger to Create Premier Global Agribusiness Solutions Company.
• Ardent Mills. (2026, March 3). Chickpeas are Having More than a Moment- They're Part of a Nutritional Movement.
• AGT Food and Ingredients Inc. (2026, August 10). AGT Food and Ingredients Inc. Announces Financial Results for Q2 2026.
• Bunge Global SA. (2026, August). New bunge.com.au website is now live.
• Louis Dreyfus Company B.V. (2026, March 18). Integrated Report 2025.
• Anchor Ingredients Co., LLC. (2025, March 3). Celebrating 10 Years of Anchor Ingredients.
• Above Food Ingredients Inc. (2025, March 20). Above Food Group Announces Strategic Restructuring to Accelerate Focus on Agri-Tech and Fin-Tech Sectors.
• Ingredion Incorporated. (2025, September 12). Gluten Free Status - Pulse Products.
• BENEO GmbH. (2025, April 11). BENEO inaugurates new pulse-processing plant.

This bibliography is provided for reader reference and is not exhaustive. The full report contains the complete reference list and detailed citations

This Report Answers

• How large is the pulses market in 2026 and what value is projected for 2036?
• Which operating conditions explain the 5.2% forecast CAGR between 2026 and 2036?
• Why do dry beans hold the largest authorised product type share in 2026?
• Why does conventional supply account for most nature-category revenue in 2026?
• What keeps whole pulses ahead of flour and split forms in the 2026 market mix?
• Which factors increase demand and which crop conditions limit specification continuity?
• How do the five profiled country CAGRs differ and what explains their commercial paths?
• Which companies have the clearest pulse origination, processing, and application capabilities?
• Which recent company actions are changing competitive capacity in pulse trading and ingredient processing?