This issue of Pulse Market Insights is written by Chuck Penner for Alberta Pulse Growers
DRY BEAN OUTLOOK A BIT DIMMER
The last few years, dry bean markets have seen a large volatility. The up-and-down dry bean crops in North America are the main reasons for price fluctuations, but big crop failures in other countries provided some big volatility the last year or two.
This year marks an “up” year for the North American dry bean crop. Acreage in both Canada and US expanded and crop conditions were mostly average to above-average. In Canada, the biggest acreage gains (aside from fabas) were seen in navy, cranberry, black and kidney beans. Pinto bean acreage only rose modestly. It was a similar situation in the US with acreage responding to strong price signals for most bean classes.