South Africa Struggles to Boost Bean Area

VANCOUVER - Mar 23/06 - SNS -- South Africa's dry edible bean industry is having great difficulty expanding production in support of its goal of reaching 90,000 to 100,000 hectares next year.

The latest seeing intentions forecasts from the South African Grain Information Services (SAGIS) reveals pulse producers in that country only intend to increase lupin area from 14,100 to 15,200 hectares in 2006-07 winter cropping season, suggesting dry edible bean area next summer may not surpass 57,000 hectares.

South Africa's Dry Bean Producers Organisation (DPO) maintains a more optimistic view of the future. "Compared with the best bean production seasons, namely the average plantings of 79,000 hectares of 1989-90 and 1990-91, there is a short term market potential for a planting of 90,000 hectares in South Africa."

DPO believes the 2005-06 increase in summer bean seedings from 49,300 to 54,880 hectares was "mainly as a result of very low producer prices obtained for maize throughout the 2005 marketing season. This, as well as the fact that all the market indicators point to a more promising bean price year in 2006, has encouraged the producers to plant more beans."

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