Are you up for a challenge?

What about copping off with a cash prize?

Think you have right stuff?

Then develop an innovative food product containing pulses?

Check out Mission Impulseible – here

Registration deadline is February 13^th – don’t delay! 

 To see what others have done previously check it out 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.

South Africa Grain Information Service (SAGIS) sees a drop in bean acres – fourth in a row for that that country.  Seeded area is expected to drop by 11% while production could hold steady, if there is a reasonable growing season.
South Africa (RSA) can import and resell beans (from China) at prices that free up RSA farmers to plant corn, soybeans, and sunflower. [Editors note:  and presumably be more profitable at that]. 
Meanwhile North America is expecting a sizable jump in acres for 2012 and a concomitant drop in prices.  Not everyone expects pronounced price weakness however. Acres and trend line yields may be just enough to restock the pipelines and keep grower prices up sufficiently to entice growers for the next year 2013.  This early in the season one can hardly predict – with any accuracy – how good the coming year’s harvest or prices will be.

Last week’s USDA NASS (National Agricultural Statistics Service) confirmed what had been suspected since long before harvest.  The North American dry bean crop is at its lowest level in decades. Poor weather was responsible.  Mexico suffered a drought that will cut production nearly in half, while a wet spring up through the Red River valley curtailed US and Manitoba acres. Poor weather and lack lustre pricing in Ontario saw growers cut acres back.  North America may become a net importer of beans as prices will likely remain firm into Spring.  The question most asked now is: “Can or will the prices shown to North American producers compete and draw acres from the traditional crops?”
Those interested in statistics click here and scroll to page 59

The Ontario Bean Producers’ Marketing Board approved a $22.44 / bag ($494.76/Mt.) interim payment at its December 15^th 2011 Board meeting.  The cheques went out just before Christmas.  This payment when added to the initial payment of $21.39/bag ($471.58/Mt.) results in a gross return for pool growers of $43.83/bag or $966.34/Mt.

More complete information from SAGARPA, Mexico’s Ag. Ministry, and industry has dropped edible bean production estimates for that country by just over 30% -
estimated output is now set at 600,000 Mt. down from 880,000 Mt.  The spring / summer harvest was devastated by drought with nearly twice as many acres affected in 2011 as there were in 2010.