U.S. Bean Crop Down 25%

VANCOUVER - Dec 11/13 - SNS -- Dry edible bean production in the United States is down almost 25% from last year mainly because wet weather prevented farmers in North Dakota from planting as many dry edible beans as they intended.

"Harvest began in early September and was complete by early November, well behind last year. In Michigan, harvest began in mid-September and finished by the end of November. Limited rainfall in August reduced yields," the USDA said in its final crop report of the year.

It pegged total edible bean output at 24.1 million cwt (100 pound units) or 1.09 million metric tons (MT). The final tally for land in beans was 1.34 million acres, down 23% from last year and down 6.5% from the USDA;a August estimate of 1.43 million acres of beans sown this year.

Harvested area is forecast at 1.30 million acres, 23% below the previous year. The average United States yield is forecast at 1,854 pounds per acre, a decrease of 35 pounds from last year's record setting yield.

The reduction in this year's seeded area was mainly due to a downward revision for North Dakota. Area in the state was cut from an estimated 510,000 acres in August to 440,000; while the harvested area estimate dropped from 480,000 to 430,000. By contrast, average yields for that state improved from 1,500 to 1,650 pounds per acre.