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U.S. Dry Bean Production Expected to Decline

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USDA released the latest Crop Production Report on October 12. U.S. production of dry beans is forecast at 22.6 million cwt, down 3 percent from the August forecast and
down 31 percent from 2020. Area planted is estimated at 1.40 million acres, down 4 percent from the August forecast and down 20 percent from 2020. Area harvested is forecast at 1.34 million acres, down 4 percent from the August forecast and down 20 percent from 2020. The yield is forecast at 1,686 pounds per acre, an increase of 11 pounds from the August forecast, but a decrease of 280 pounds from last season.
 
In North Dakota, dry bean production is forecast at 5.95 million cwt, down 53% from 2020. Area for harvest, at 640,000 acres, is down 18% from last year. Yield is estimated at 930 pounds per acre, down 700 pounds per acre from last year.
 
Minnesota dry bean production is forecast at 4.47 million cwt, down 19 percent from last year. An expected 229,000 acres will be harvested, with an expected yield of 1,950 pounds per acre.

Canadian Dry Beans in Good Position

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Alvin Klassen, president of Dry Bean World, which provides information on dry bean production in Canada and the northern United States, said this year’s drought has cut yields, and already prices are climbing as analysts predict much lower production and supply shortages.
 
“It is already affecting markets significantly,” Klassen said. “We’re seeing record dry bean prices in North Dakota, or new crop contracts for 2021. And we’re also seeing some very aggressive bids. Over 50 cents a pound in Canadian dollars for old crop beans.
 
“When you get into the specialty beans, like kidneys and cranberry beans, they’re talking 65 to 70 cents per pound,” Klassen said.
 
After last season’s record dry bean crop in Western Canada, this year comes as a disappointment as far as yields go. He said the producers who manage to get a good crop off could earn a lot of money for it. Irrigation will play a major role in bean harvest numbers.
 
“If they’re in a drought region, beans are going to be devastated. There’s going to be no bean harvest,” said Garry Hnatowich research director at Irrigation Crop Diversification Corp. about beans that aren’t irrigated, the research director at Irrigation Crop Diversification Corp.
 
Even irrigated beans have had challenges. “Under irrigation, well beans are a warm-loving crop so we’ve certainly had the heat but it may be a little too much of a good thing, because what I’m noticing at our dry beans here in Outlook (Sask.) is that the maturity has been advanced. So it didn’t matter how much water we put on the beans, the intensity of the sunlight and the heat was too much for the beans.”
 
Hnatowich said despite this, crops under irrigation will still produce.“We will have a harvest, there’s no doubt about it, but we could have used five degrees to seven degrees less temperature. That would have been ideal for us. They look good, but I don’t think the yield is going to be as good as what it appears to be.”
 
Klassen echoed Hnatowich’s statement. “But the drought has made for some very weird shaped pods,” Klassen said. “So we’re seeing a lot of pods that only have one or two beans. And normally, there should be five to seven.”
 
Klassen said the market prices this year shocked him.“In the 20 years, I’ve been involved in dry bean production, I have not seen prices that high. It’s quite something.”
 

U.S. Dry Bean Production Estimated to Decline 29%

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The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) released the August Crop Production Report on Thursday.
 
Production of dry edible beans is forecast at 23.3 million hundredweight (cwt), down 29 percent from 2020. Area planted is estimated at 1.46 million acres, down 3 percent from the previous acreage report and down 16 percent from 2020. Area harvested is forecast at 1.39 million acres, down 3 percent from the Acreage report and down 17 percent from 2020.
 
The average United States yield is forecast at 1,675 pounds per acre, a decrease of 291 pounds from last season. North Dakota is currently experiencing a drought, which is affecting dry beans in most of the State. Low yields are being reported due to the dryness.
 
For North Dakota, dry bean production is forecast at 6.91 million cwt, down 46 percent from last year. Harvested acreage is estimated at 640,000, down 18 percent from a year ago. The average yield is forecast at 1,080 pounds per acre, down 550 pounds per acre from last year.
 
Acres planted by class in North Dakota are as follows:
 
                              2020            2021
Pinto –                 532,000      463,000
Black –                 126,000      85,000
Navy –                   96,000       78,000
Small Red –          13,800        14,000
Pink –                    4,700         6,300
Great Northern – 4,000        9,800
 
For Minnesota, dry bean production is forecast at 3.77 million cwt, down 32 percent from last year. Harvested acreage is estimated at 229,000, down 13 percent from a year ago. The average yield is forecast at 1,650 pounds per acre, down 450 pounds per acre from last year.
 
Acres Planted by class in Minnesota are as follows:
 

Dry Bean Production Updates from China and Argentina

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China:
An initial survey of China’s prospective dry bean planting reveals that production in 2020 is estimated to be down by 9% with total volume of 174,500 MT. Planting area is estimated down 9% with total sowing area of 110,400 hectares. Growers have been active planting light speckled kidney beans (LSKB), red speckled kidney beans (RSKB) and purple speckled kidney beans (PSKB) due to increased market demand. However, farmers have much less interest in growing black beans and white beans this year which have been basically been planted for export markets. As a result, sowing area for black beans has declined this year but the sowing area for LSKB, RSKB and PSKB is roughly at the same level as last year.
 
Argentina:
A late May frost damaged about 5% of the bean crop in some of the Argentine planting areas. Weather is expected to be good for the remaining harvest through the end of June. To date, quality is good for kidney beans and alubias and we are estimating increased production. Black beans will be mixed, due to the wider production area and frost damage. For cranberries, this was not a good year, and most beans available are small size and regular quality. The 2020 crop is already being shipped, especially black and LRK. Exporters are still cautious when it comes to offering alubias and kidneys, because beans are just getting to the processing facilities but exports are following a healthy pace to date.

Ukraine Expected to Increase Dry Bean Production

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Pulses are still considered a niche-market crop in Ukraine. Dry peas are the leading pulse product at 775,600 MT produced in 2018, followed by 71,190 MT of dry beans, 53,560 MT of garbanzos and 19,620 MT of lentils. Although dry bean production volumes are currently low in Ukraine, top-quality North American navy bean seed has been acquired by certain farming interests which means that navy bean production could develop very quickly, especially now that there is a shortage of white beans in world markets. Read more.

Production Numbers Continue to Decline in Mexico

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According to U.S. Dry Bean Council Mexican market intelligence, Mexico dry bean production estimates for November declined as harvest wraps up. Production is estimated around 400 thousand metric tons for all states that planted dry beans in 2019 spring/summer cycle. This would be 52 percent less than the 859,000 metric tons produced in 2018. In Chihuahua, some lots were not even harvested due to frost that occurred at the end of October and first week of November. Pinto beans are practically sold out. Zacatecas is reportedly the most stable so far. Damage is still being assessed and more cold fronts are expected during the remainder of November. Producers in Durango are trying to capitalize on the recent cold spells, demanding the government increase the price guarantee from 14,500 to 18,000 pesos (US$763.15 to US$947.36 per metric ton.) Read more.

Mexico Dry Bean Crop May Fall Short

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The U.S. Dry Bean Council’s re-survey of the Mexican 2019 Spring-Summer dry bean crop confirmed definitively that the bean planting surface was reduced as a result of the drought from June through August,. As a result, production is estimated at 417,101 metric tons, 54 percent less than SIAP’s (Mexico’s agricultural data Secretariat) estimates and 52.5 percent less than the average in the last seven Spring-Summer cycles.
 
Total production for Mexico’s two dry bean crops of the 2019 agricultural year is expected to reach 700,298 metric tons, 43 percent short of SIAP’s projections and 38 percent below average production levels. Additionally, the estimated bean production, is not enough to trigger the use of the government’s dry bean support program. Read more.

USDA Drops Dry Bean Production Forecast in October Report

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USDA released its October Crop Production Report on Thursday. U.S. production of dry edible beans is forecast at 23.8 million cwt, down three percent from the August forecast and down 37 percent from 2018. Area planted is estimated at 1.31 million acres, down two percent from the August forecast and down 37 percent from 2018. Area harvested is forecast at 1.26 million acres, down two percent from the August forecast and 37 percent below 2018.
 
Acreage updates were made in several states based on a thorough review of all available data. The average United States yield is forecast at 1,889 pounds per acre, a decrease of 30 pounds from the August forecast, but an increase of 29 pounds from last season. Beginning in 2019, estimates no longer include chickpeas.
 

Chinese Dry Bean Production Pegged at 195,000 MT

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China’s dry bean production for 2019 is estimated at 195,000 metric tons, with supplies of 221,000 MT.
Both planting and harvest area for black beans in China has been significantly reduced due to a conversion to soybeans and low market prices. The planting and harvest area for dark red kidney beans increased 35 percent from the previous year due to high domestic demand and decreased planting and harvest area in 2018. Market demand for high-grade (also called canned grade) DRK has been high. More exporters are prepared to switch their export business to import.
 

Drought in Mexico Decreases Production Projections

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The U.S. Dry Bean Council August Planting Intentions report confirms that extended drought in Mexico during the critical planting period resulted in an almost 50 percent decrease in bean planting surface. That also means a production drop of over 56 percent against the Mexican Agricultural Secretary’s (SIAP/SADER) projections.
 
During the critical month of June 2019, precipitation was scarce causing moderate drought in areas in the key dry bean growing states of Chihuahua, Durango, Guanajuato and Zacatecas, delaying bean planting. July was classified as the driest month in history, according to national records. The lack of rain caused extreme stress in the beans planted in the last week of June, reducing the planting surface. Read more.