DePutter Publishing in its E-Morning report carried the following:
John Thompson of Thompsons Ltd in an interview on siemenssays.com. says he expects declines to average about 15% due to the competitiveness of different crops in different regions. Soybeans will steal acres in Ontario. In Manitoba it’s canola. Growers are looking at wheat in Minn/Dak and in Michigan it’s the other grain commodities.
Thompson said: “We have always been competitive … however it is difficult to get acres contracted in increasing markets. What we have been hoping for is some stability, some kind of a plateau where we could establish a fair value …. It’s a difficult situation and I don’t know where it’s going to top out.”

In the February (Feb. 20th) edition of the USDA Economic Research Service’s Vegetables and Melons Outlook, Gary Lucier brings forward some interesting insights.
Acreage intentions for dry edible beans in the United States remains fluid. Some indicators are pointing toward small changes in total dry bean acreage this year and next. However, there may be more substantial changes among and between bean market classes.
Some market classes such as cranberry, light and dark red kidney, Great Northern, small red, and perhaps navy beans could experience increases in seeded area, a few hitting 10% or more.
Other classes such as pinto, black, blackeye, and garbanzo beans (Chickpea), could drop by 5 to 9% from a year earlier. With average yields and acreage losses, the 2008 dry bean crop would be at least 10% lower than 2007.
The first survey-based examination of 2008 row crop area (including dry beans) will be available on March 30 when USDA releases the Prospective Plantings report.
External market forces competing for limited land and production resources are forcing dry bean prices to reflect more than just their internal supply and demand factors. Imports are becoming a larger share of a few market classes and foreign products may gain an increasing share of the U.S. market. One question that arises is whether over the longer term, some classes of U.S. beans will be priced out of the domestic market since their value will be a function of trying to maintain parity with elevated prices of traditional field crops.
Sharply higher prices for dry beans are drawing increased attention to the U.S. market from other bean-producing nations.
For the full report click here, the dry bean report starts on page 20.
Another USDA website ‘the briefing room’ can be found here

Syngenta Crop Protection Canada, Inc. has announced the Canadian registration of Apron Maxx® RFC and Cruiser Maxx® Beans seed treatments for commercial applications.
Apron Maxx® RFC is registered for all of the major pulse and bean crops grown in Canada, including soybeans, dry beans, lentils, dry peas and chickpeas, and Cruiser Maxx® Beans is registered for edible beans and soybeans in Canada.

Farmassist.ca carried the following dry bean news from the Michigan Bean and Beet Day
Saginaw based, Senior Merchandiser, Larry Sprague with Kelley Bean Co. believes Navy bean acreage in the state could decline between 10% and 15% – and perhaps even as much as 20% – as other crops compete hard for planted area. At roughly 61,000 acres (down from 80,000 in 2006), Navy beans accounted for about 30% of total Michigan dry bean area last year of 200,000 acres.
Most other dry bean types will also see a decline in Michigan this year, Sprague said, with Small Reds, and perhaps Cranberries, being the lone exceptions.
For the full Farmassit story and a run down of prices being offered in Michigan click here

Advices from Ontario’s northern dry bean growing fringe — Huron & Bruce counties – indcate that contract prices for dry edible beans has moved up a notch ~$2.00/bag.
Values reported are as follows:
White Pea Beans $40.00/bag (cwt.)
Crans and Light Reds: $50.00/bag (cwt.)
Dark Red Kidneys: $52.00/bag (cwt.)

The nutritional benefits of dry beans, chickpeas, lentils and dry peas and how they can be added to foods as a health-boost took center stage at a meeting in Canada today (at the Pulse Food Symposium staged by Pulse Canada).
To view the article on foodnavigator USA click here

So says the recent AAFC (Ag. Canada) Bi-Weekly Bulletin (Vol.21 No. 1) in their Canadian Outlook report.
The report for dry beans is as follows:
“The most important influence on Canadian dry bean prices is US production, which is forecast to decrease by 6% to 1.02 Mt because of lower seeded area and lower yields. US supply is expected to decrease by 5% to 1.17 Mt.
In Canada, seeded area is forecast to decrease by 7% because of good prices for crops which are easier to produce than dry beans. Production is expected to decrease only marginally due to higher yields, while supply decreases by 6% because of lower carry-in stocks. Exports are forecast to decrease due to the lower supply.
Carry-out stocks are expected to remain at a low level. The average price, over all classes and grades, is forecast to increase because of to increase because of the lower US and Canadian supply.”
to read the report in its entirety click here Editor’s Note: as of this posting – 02/04/08 the writer could not find Volume 21 No. 1 on the AAFC website.

A story on farmandranchguide.com has North American dry edible beans supplies tightening
The continuing tug-of-war over commodity acres will probably result in a shrinking carryover supply of dry edible beans in 2008 as producers consider switching over to other crops, according to John Thompson, Dry Bean Sales Manager for Thompson USA, Ltd.
“We’re estimating a drop of 15% in acreage from 2007 to 2008 for all dry bean types on an average.”, Thompson said, while showing a chart of expected acreage in 2008. “We are just a little piece of pie there, getting squeezed by the big three: corn, soybeans and wheat and we are trying to protect our acreage base.”
He noted that some types of beans will see larger reductions while others less so. He noted in a variety by variety comparison, some varieties could actually be at a point of zero carryover based on resent supply and demand patterns.
Read the entire story here

More than 180 people representing food companies, product developers, pulse processors and food researchers are meeting in Toronto this week to discuss the nutritional benefits of dry beans, chickpeas, lentils and dry peas.
“Canada’s pulse industry is in the midst of an intensive effort to increase North American awareness of pulse foods, their nutritional benefits and opportunities for use in food processing,” said Peter Watts, Director of Market Innovation for Pulse Canada. “The Pulse Food Symposium is an important step towards reaching our goal of developing partnerships with food and ingredient companies.”
The Pulse Innovation Project, an initiative of Canada’s pulse industry, is trying to increase North American consumption by stimulating innovation in product development.
Read the story here