Dry Bean Market Opportunities

Production

Dry beans have been grown in Canada since the 1940s in Ontario, but expanded to Manitoba and Alberta through the 1980s. The Canadian-seeded area has averaged 380,000 acres, with pinto, navy, and black beans as the three most common types. Other types include great northern, pink, small red, kidney, and cranberry beans. Manitoba typically plants the most acres of dry beans, followed by Ontario and Alberta. Dry bean production in Saskatchewan is still modest. Dry bean production in Canada averages around 370,000 tonnes each year.
Dry beans are the world’s most significant pulse crop. Over the past 10 years, global production has increased by more than 15%, with annual growth of over 28 million tonnes. India, China, Myanmar, and Brazil are the world’s largest producers of dry beans.

Over the past ten years, global dry bean trade volumes have increased 8%, with total export value up 3%. Canada is a relatively small player in the global dry bean trade, but volumes have been growing.
Canadian dry beans are exported to various countries, with the United States (U.S.) and Europe the most prominent destinations. More recently, Mexico has become a sizable buyer of Canadian beans. Export volumes are typically steady throughout the marketing year, ranging from 28,000 to 35,000 tonnes per month. Total marketing year exports have averaged 370,000 tonnes from 2018–2019 to 2022–2023.

In all markets, dry beans are primarily used for human consumption, which includes beans cooked and canned or dried and bagged.

The U.S. is the largest market for Canadian dry beans, and prices fluctuate depending on demand, which is influenced by domestic production. Historically, dry bean prices have been volatile, but over the past few years, they have traded steadily at historically strong levels.
Canadian farmers have benefited from the increase in global dry bean demand, with dry beans a profitable pulse crop and an opportunity to diversify away from cereal grains and oilseeds.