Long Lasting Summer Needed For NA Beans

VANCOUVER - Aug 8/08 - SNS -- North American dry edible beans need a long lasting summer with favorable weather to maintain this season's yield potential and generate enough good quality beans to meet the market's minimum needs during the 2008-09 season, believes Parrish & Heimbecker's Steve Scholze.

Commenting on the North American bean situation, Scholze said, "Major North American Dry Edible Bean growing regions require a late lasting summer season into the majority of the month of September and to most importantly avoid any early incidents of frost. Old crop supply continues to be extremely tight, verified by the limited amount of firm offers in the market for August/September shipments. Dealers continue to be defensive on new crop offerings, with likely not much to change until we proceed closer to harvest time."

Unfortunately, Mother Nature seems determined to prevent such a outcome in Ontario. "Growers in Ontario have given up expecting a normal summer weather pattern," Scholze said. "Overall, this has been a very wet summer in Ontario.

"Not that there is much dry bean acreage in Toronto, however as a good indication of moisture levels, Toronto broke its record for the wettest June and July with 303.4 millimeters reported, breaking the previous record of 271.5. Also, in the city of Sarnia, they set a June-July precipitation record at 287.6 mm. In many of the growing regions across the Province, having a day without any new millimeters of rainfall in your rain-gauge would be rare, and so far the month of August is continuing this trend, however, with cooler temperatures."

Scholze added, "There has been some isolated hail damage in some fields, with a seemingly increased storm pattern received so far this month. With all the rainfall, saturated soils are now contributing to root rot and yellowing seen in dry bean fields.

"Despite this record rainfall, most of the Province is rated as fair to good however significantly behind and extremely variable in terms of crop progress. A late summer with no early hard frost will be essential in order to finish this year's crop, however drier and warmer temperatures will also be needed in order to advance the crop and improve our chances for better quality harvested product."

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