Pulse weekly outlook: Rains delay large Manitoba bean harvest

Harvest activity ahead of the rains Sept. 20-21 likely brought the level up to 30 to 40 per cent complete, according to Lange. While the extent of any damage remains to be seen, “if the beans are standing I’m not as concerned about (the rain) than if they’re windrowed,” said Lange. He expected the moisture might lead to deterioration and discolouration on any crops that were swathed and lying on the ground, but added that more growers are straight-cutting than were in the past. Growers also likely focused on harvesting kidney and cranberry beans ahead of the rains, as those crops could be more susceptible to downgrades.“It’s a lot of rain, but many areas were pretty dry,” said Lange, noting very little standing water in the previously dry areas after the precipitation. Manitoba farmers seeded 163,700 acres of edible beans in 2019, with roughly a quarter of the area planted to navy beans and coloured beans the remainder. Statistics Canada has forecast total production of all types ...