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The Humble Pardina Brings U.S. Profits
By Jill Lee
In Spanish, the word "pardina" means small and grey. Pardina lentils are just that. But good things often come in plain packages; just ask Dean H. Brocke, president of George F. Brocke & Sons, of Kendrick, Idaho, a company specializing in the processing and marketing of pulses worldwide.
"In the early 1980s, we got a request from a Spanish importer to have our farmers give the Pardina lentil a try. They sent us some seeds. It turned out our climate allowed us to produce them at a higher quality and lower price than even the Spanish could."
Of the 20,000 metric tons of Pardina lentils consumed in Spain last year, only 1,000 were produced domestically, says Brocke. The rest came from the United States.
"The problem in Spain was the climate–it was dry and the soil tended to be shallow," he explained.
But Pardinas are particular. Just as they don’t like to be to dry, they don’t want too much rain, either. That means the United States has a competitive advantage over other climates.
"Growing Pardina in Canada is a non-starter because of disease," Brocke said. "Canadian farmers have tried, but Canada get too much rainfall and the plants just don’t do as well."
Pulse producers in the United States are looking to the Pardina lentil as a way to regain competitiveness in India’s huge market. In fact, Pete Johnstone, of Spokane Seed in Washington State was the first U.S. grower/exporter to try Pardina lentils.
U.S. farmers and exporters hope Pardina will be the ticket to regain market share in India lost to Canadian peas. The reason is simple: cheaper pulses sell, and right now Canadian peas are India’s best deal. But Pardina lentils can be grown at an even lower cost.
"We have completely captured Spain, but there is one
barrier to India. They prefer a yellow-meated variety. After the
Pardinas are shelled, they look like a mix with Turkish
red," said Brocke. 
He is quick to add that the nutrition for Pardina lentils is the same as a regular "brewers" lentil enjoyed in the United States. Moreover, they have superior cooking and texture qualities.
One reason Pardina lentils are so cheap, explains Brocke, is that their yields per acre are incredibly high, which makes growing them attractive to U.S. producers. However, both these factors–yield and popularity–will push prices even lower. This could be a blessing or a curse. Either way, it will give Pardinas an even bigger boost in India’s budget-conscious market. But to keep prices stable, there is also an effort underway to sell Pardina lentils domestically.
"We just got a buyer on the East Coast," said Brocke. "Pardina should be showing up in grocery stores soon."
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The author is a public affairs specialist with the FAS Information Division, USDA, Washington, D.C. Tel.: (202) 720-7939; Fax: (202) 720-1727; e-mail: leejill@fas.usda.gov
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