Glacier FarmMedia — Final production estimates for the past growing season from the United States Department of Agriculture confirmed larger lentil, dry pea and chickpea crops in the country in 2023/24 compared to the previous year, as yields improved for all three crops. However, edible bean production was down slightly as both yields and seeded area were down for the crop.
Improved yields more than made up for a decline in seeded lentil area in the country in 2023/24, according to the USDA’s Jan. 12 report, with lentil production of 260,450 up by 1.5 per cent on the year despite a 19.7 per cent decline in planted acres. Average U.S. lentil yields of 1,098 pounds per acre were up by 20.3 per cent on the year, according to the USDA.
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Chickpea yields in the country were up by 21.9 per cent on the year, hitting 1,315 pounds per acre. With seeded U.S. chickpea area up by 4.2 per cent, at 372,000 acres, total production increased to 214,186 tonnes from 167,194 tonnes in 2022/23.
U.S. dry edible pea production came in at 820,370 tonnes, which was up from 703,840 tonnes the previous year and roughly double what was grown in 2021/22. Average yields were up by 10.0 per cent on the year at 1,922 lbs/ac. U.S. farmers seeded 966,000 acres of peas in 2023, which was up by 2.2 per cent from the previous year.
U.S. farmers seeded 1.18 million acres of dry edible beans in 2023, which was down by 4.9 per cent on the year. Average yields dipped by 2.1 per cent, resulting in a seven per cent reduction in total edible bean production on the year at 1.085 million tonnes.
Of that total, pinto beans were the largest crop, coming in at 390,362 tonnes. That was down by 19.8 per cent from the previous year. Kidney beans and navy beans also saw slightly smaller crops, at 71,758 tonnes (light and dark kidney beans combined) and 145,512 tonnes respectively. However, black beans at 303,952 tonnes were up by 12 per cent on the year, as average yields and seeded area both saw an improvement from 2022/23.
— Phil Franz-Warkentin is an associate editor/analyst with MarketsFarm in Winnipeg.
