Output of Most Bean Classes Off in U.S.

WASHINGTON - Aug 19/04 - SNS -- Production of all major classes of beans except black, navy and dark red kidney beans is expected to decline in the United States this year, argues the USDA's pulse market analyst Gary Lucier in the current edition of Vegetables and Melons Outlook published by the Economic Research Service (ERS).

These changes are "foreshadowed by planted area estimates . . . These three classes account for one-fourth of the U.S. dry bean crop. Pintos, which are about 40% of all dry beans, are expected to be down 5-10%. USDA will release the first estimate of production by class on December 10," Lucier wrote.

"The combination of reduced output and dwindling stocks could provide a boost to lethargic dry bean prices later in the coming marketing year. This, in turn, should help position dry beans as a stronger competitor for acreage in 2005."

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