January 13, 2009

9:00 am – 3:30 pm

Best Western, Lamplighter Inn

591 Wellington Road, London, ON

For Overnight Hotel Reservations call –519-681-7151

For a description of the program and a registration form Click Here 

Dry bean yields were above long term average across most of the province, reports OMAFRA. In many cases, yields were higher than expected ranging widely from 10-35 cwt/ac. The provincial average for all dry beans is expected to be slightly above average. Final acreage will be approximately equal to the long term average of 155,000-165,000 total acres.  

Wet conditions at planting time challenged growers’ patience in waiting for good soil conditions. The crop struggled through most of the season from frequent or severe rain events.
   Despite all of the challenges, yields were mostly above average with few quality issues. Early harvest conditions were good with average to above yields. [Ed. Note: the tail end of the harvest was not as good however average provincial yield will be in the top historical quartile].  Harvest was extended to late October because of the late planting and then wet weather during the prime harvest period. The biggest challenge at harvest was difficulty in pricing crop that was over what was contracted.  Edible beans were not immune from the freefall in commodity prices. North American acreage of white beans was less than previous years, but above average yields significantly increased supply.