Early chill causes minor loss in Ontario's edible bean crop

Tuesday, December 3, 2013

by MATT MCINTOSH

Despite receiving an early, unanticipated dose of the Canadian winter, quality yields and high market demand have made it a good year for Huron County’s edible bean growers.

In the last three weeks, cold weather brought ice and snow to Huron County, burying a portion of the regions’ edible bean crop and worrying some producers.

“The snow came about a couple weeks too early this year,” says Marinus Bakker, Ontario Bean Growers board member.” We’ve already seen six to eight inches of snow in some places.”

The region’s other grain growers, he says, have also been affected by the cold.

“Edible beans that were in the field during the snow are done, but there are soybean producers who have been affected as well. Although, they might still be able to get some of their crop off,” says Bakker.

However, problems caused by snow are only part of a larger, more positive picture.

According to Derwyn Hodgins, head of agronomy at Hensall District Co-op, the early snow had only a minor effect on the success of Huron County’s edible bean crop.

“The majority of Huron County’s edible beans were harvested,” says Hodgins. “Obviously it varies from area to area, but overall, we estimate that only about three to five per cent were buried.”

Hodgins says this year’s edible bean yields were, on average, higher than normal, largely counteracting the losses caused by November’s premature snowfall.

“Edible beans in Huron County have done fairly well this year, but they’re not the only ones,” he says. “Growers in places like Michigan also saw some pretty good yields; Manitoba in particular had their best year ever in a lot of areas, including edible beans.”

Hodgins also credits the year’s overall success to a strong market. He says there is high market demand for Ontario beans right now, thanks to larger production problems in China and Argentina.  

Those production problems have left a gap in the market, and Ontario bean producers are looking at good returns for their crops.

“It’s important to look at the whole picture, not just the last few weeks,” says Hodgins.

Grant Jones, a white bean farmer near Hensall, Ontario, says his dry bean yield was higher than average. However, he is still concerned that the weather will not allow him to finish harvesting.

“The part that I could harvest went very well,” says Jones. “But things are up in the air, and I still don’t know when we’ll get to take the rest off.”

For the area just north of Hensall, Environment Canada is predicting rain and slightly warmer temperatures over the next several days, followed by snow and a return to negative temperatures. BF