Important information sessions – July 3 & 5, 2012
see Meeting Notice by clicking here, Agenda by clicking here and Synopsis for Single Bean by clicking here.

July 3^rd 2012 – 69 Nelson Str. Hensall ON
– Start time 9:30 AM (hot lunch afterwards)

July 5^th 2012 Stoneridge Inn – Hwy 401 and #4
- Start time 9:30 AM (hot lunch afterwards)

Come and hear details on where things stand with a ‘Single Bean Marketing Board’ for Ontario.
Get the details on the proposed structure, organization priorities, operating model, authorities, proposed funding base and implementation plan.
This will impact all bean producers in the province.Come see, hear and provide input to the future of your bean industry in Ontario.

The Ontario Coloured Bean Growers Association is having their Annual General Meeting
When – March 6^th      
Where – Kirkton

Topics Covering :        Crop Protection products, Markets, Promotional activities as well as Merger and Internet connectivity. 

 Click to see the full Agenda here

Ontario Dry Bean Variety Performance Trials now available at GOBEANS.ca

The 2011 report of Ontario Dry Bean Variety Trials is now available on the Ontario Pulse Crop Committee website at GOBEANS.CA. 
The new website includes reports for white, black and other coloured bean types.
Users can download individual or multi-location summary information, variety characteristic information and compare varieties head to head.
Growers can now easily compare varieties head to head and evaluate performance for their area.
For further information contact Brian Hall, OMAFRA, Stratford.

2010/11 U.S. dry bean crop is forecast down 38% from last year, according to USDA crop production estimates.

U.S. acreage reduction was driven by weather problems at planting. Planted area is estimated down 37%, harvested area is forecast down 39% from the previous year, while yields are slightly higher.
Production is forecast to be down across all States but markedly so (by 41%) in the five largest producing States; North Dakota, Michigan, Minnesota, Nebraska, and Idaho.
Some Supply demand estimates indicate the barest of minimum of carry-over – nearly nonexistent. 
Current grower bid in Michigan for navy beans (white pea) is indicated at $49 – 50 USD per bag.

In Canada, Manitoba saw a better than average edible bean year – production wise, on significantly reduced acres (down 65%) .  Bean acres planted to all market classes in Manitoba is estimates at 51,182 versus last year’s total bean acres of 145,825.  In Ontario seeded acres to white beans for this harvest is estimated at 45,000 acres down from last year’s 81,000.  A cool wet spring and an average to wetter than normal season for some, with a warmer than normal harvest season is producing some unexpected results.  Quality is very good and much better than last year.  Yields are good to very good – ranging anywhere from the low to high 20 bags per acre.  Ontario producer prices indicated at 46 to 48 dollars per bag.

As dry bean fields start to ‘turn’ and begin their senescence into final maturity growers’ thoughts turn to harvest aids.  Before a grower sprays he should first check his contract terms and then with the elevator where he has his production contract — to double confirm what and when he can spray.
MRL’s (Maximum Residue Levels) have reared their head in the past few years as non tariff barriers.  Different destinations countries have different allowable MRL’s.  There are even differences in allowable levels between and among supplier countries.
Before doing anything a grower should check with the elevator he has his production contract or the elevator he intends to deliver to.

Ontario growers are being asked to participate n the Canadian Grain Commission’s (CGC) free Harvest Sample Program.
By signing up here’s what you and the broader industry get:
                an unofficial grade with grading and quality factors on your specific sample – no charge
                the quality data is aggregated and shared with value chain participants through standardized samples giving as accurate a picture as possible of the overall crop quality
                further downstream research can and is carried out to evaluate such things as fibre etc. and how that compares to other crop sources.  Perhaps leading to innovations for new or alternate uses.

The Commission needs samples directly from farms like yours so that their data is reliable and representative.
The Ontario Bean Producers’ (OBPMB) supports this initiative and urges all Ontario producers to sign up.   
If you are not already enrolled you can register online at:
www.grainscanada.gc.ca/quality-qualite/hst-per/hspm-mper-eng.htm

Or send an email to: harvest-recolte@grainscanada.gc.ca

For a more detailed explanation of the program you can click here.

The McGuinty Government delivers on promise to Protect Family Farms

Ontario’s Minister of Agriculture Carroll Mitchell today announced a new suite of Risk Management Programs (RMP). This made-in-Ontario; by farmers, for farmers, risk management program will give Ontario farmers the predictability and stability they need to stay on the land and continue to provide Ontario residents the good things that grow in Ontario.
Program details here
News Release here

Ontario has, since the late seventies, had a history with the dry bean Anthracnose disease. 
At least once in every decade since the 70’s the disease has flared up and 2010 was such a flare up.  Weather, along with a lapse in, or perhaps ignored or forgotten good cultural practices all played a role in this past year’s out-break of the disease.  A good portion of the major growing region was affected – See Map

As with most diseases “an ounce of prevention staves off a pound of cure”.  Anthracnose is a seed-borne disease affecting all market classes of dry beans in the Phaseolus family.  It impacts both yield and quality.
The first line of defense is resistant varieties, of which there are few.  The second line of defense is Pedigreed Seed that has an effective seed treatment applied. 
For the upcoming 2011 crop, certified seed will be a must. 
See -  Call to use Certified seed.
Once the crop has been planted, a rigorous scouting and, if needed, follow through treatment program(s) could be a must.
Ontario dry bean growers can consult OMAFRA articles, fact sheets and info-sheets, specific to dry beans at:
Dry Edible Bean Topics
Specific topics on dry bean crop protection can be found in Chapter 5 of publication 812 Field Crop Protection Guide.

For more information:
Toll Free: 1-877-424-1300
Local: (519) 826-4047
E-mail: ag.info.omafra@ontario.ca

… is the question to contemplate.
Dr. Peter G. Hall of the EDC (Export Development Canada) has some interesting comments in his most recent weekly comment that might be of interest.
He casts a critical eye on this year’s “Price Paradox”:  strong and rising commodity prices in the face of a weak and faltering economic recovery along with building inventories (stocks).
He points out – many US firms are sitting on hoards of cash. Other than bonuses and share buy backs, shareholders will be demanding that all that cash earn a good return or be paid to them as dividends.  This pile of cash is having a hard time earning a return in traditional ways.  So it flows to a long forgotten, now favourite asset class: commodities.
Mr. Hall points out that “… growth has not been enough to keep crude oil and base metal inventories from swelling, and by an outlandish pace in certain cases.  History shows that prices and inventories rarely move in the same direction for long, and that base commodities are rarely a good long-term investment.”
This comment likely holds doubly true of annually renewable commodities such as grains.  Therefore to paraphrase Mr. Warren Buffet when all the market pundits are “Yell’en” growers should be using their pencils and if things are looking profitable maybe they should be “Sell’en”.
Read the article for yourself and mull it over during the holidays.

The recently released USDA’s Vegetables and Melons Report pegs 2010 U.S. dry edible bean production up 6% from the initial August crop forecast.  Good harvest weather helped ‘up’ national production of all dry beans by 29% over last year to an estimate of 32.6 million cwt.  This would be the fourth largest dry bean crop on record with large crops forecast for North Dakota, Minnesota, and Washington.  National yield is estimated to be a record 17.83 bags (cwt) per acre.
Eight bean classes including pinto, navy, Great Northern, black, garbanzo, pink, and dark red kidney should see good to outsized increased. 
Prices were slow to develop during harvest with growers reluctant sellers.  Considerable uncertainty remains in most dry bean markets with regard to pricing. 
Read more of the story here

Editors note:  Given the sustained surge in prices for competing commodities such as wheat, corn, soys, cotton etc. and their relative attractiveness for ‘good margins’ next season and the moribund bean prices being shown to and expected for growers in the 2010/11 season one can only predict a sharp drop in planted acres next season.