Canada Develops Slow Darkening Pinto

SASKATOON - Jul 21/05 - SNS -- A seven-year agreement has been reached to produce, process and market all slow darkening pinto bean varieties developed by the University of Saskatchewan's Crop Development Centre, including variety 1533-15, which is now in its first year of pedigree seed production.

Under the agreement, Walker Seeds Ltd. of Tisdale, Saskatchewan will contract the production of the beans and will be responsible for promotion and marketing to end users. Keg Agro Ltd. will process the beans. Big Dog Farms in Oxbow, Saskatchewan and Willner Agri Ltd. in Davidson, will be involved in seed multiplication.

Normally, all varieties developed by the Crop Development Centre at the University of Saskatchewan are released through the Saskatchewan Pulse Crop Growers's Variety Release Program. Since slow darkening pinto beans are unique, they are being treated differently.

"We want to keep them completely separated from other pinto bean varieties so their unique identity is preserved and the end market can take full advantage of their unique characteristics," explains Bert Vandenberg, the CDC plant breeder who developed them.

Researchers at the university have found the varieties hold their color for more than one year. Most pinto varieties show noticeable signs of darkening by six months and sometime sooner, depending on harvest and storage conditions.

Walker Seeds believes the variety will reach commercial scale production in time for them to capitalize on the full opening of the Mexican market to dry edible bean imports from Canada and the United States in the 2008-09 marketing year. Under the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), import duties on U.S., and Canadian beans will drop to zero.

Walker Seeds's Gildardo Silva believes, "P{into beans are also one of the most popular varieties in northern Mexico. Because product freshness is associated with a white shiny color, CDC's new slow darkening pintos will be an ideal fit for thee markets."