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Are dry beans and food-grade soybeans right for your farm

Are dry beans and food-grade soybeans right for your farm
Nov 01, 2024
By Denise Faguy
Assistant Editor, North American Content, Farms.com

Ontario Produces 120,000 acres (6 percent) of North American Dry Bean Acres

At the 2024 Great Ontario Yield Tour, Wade Bicknell, the food grade origination manager at Hensall Co-op, shared insights on the performance and management of Identity Preserved (IP) beans.

He began by explaining that Hensall Co-ops is in a unique position because of its Global Logistics division when it comes to food grade beans. They work with customers in the United Kingdom, Europe, Southeast Asia, and Australia.

“The dry bean market is an interesting one,” Bicknell began. “Dry beans are not traded on the Chicago Board of Trade, making price discovery and market information harder to get.”

He explained that the demand side for dry beans does not change much from year to year. Bickell spoke about dry beans and food grade soybeans, for dry beans he spoke about market influences.

On the supply side there are 1.9 million acres planted of dry beans in North America, with North Dakota and Minnesota being the largest producing states in the United States, producing about 33 percent.

Alberta, Saskatchewan, and Manitoba produce about 300,000 acres, and Ontario produces 120,000 acres or about 6 percent of North American dry bean acres.

Pinto beans are by far the largest market class followed by black beans, both types show increased acreages and are up 50 percent from the year before.

Over the past three years, Hensel Co-op has engaged in third-party research to analyze the yield variations among different varieties of IP beans.

The first year showed minimal difference in yield, whereas the second year presented significant discrepancies. The anticipation for this year’s results is high, reflecting the unpredictable nature of agricultural yields.

The discussions also touched on the challenges and expectations from the market, emphasizing the need for farmers to adhere strictly to contract terms to capitalize on the premium pricing.

Bicknell noted that there are logistical and financial challenges associated with maintaining non-GMO status, including the costs of identity preserved certification.

Despite these challenges, Bicknell remains optimistic about the opportunities for Ontario farmers in producing non-GMO and organic products. “We have the infrastructure, we have the knowledgeable growers, we have everything in place to maintain world class products that we sell around the world.”

Watch the video below to see Wade Bicknell’s complete presentation during the 2024 2024 Great Ontario Yield Tour.




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