Overview

Dry edible beans (Phaseolus vulgaris) are grown in at least 40 states with commercial-scale production in 18 states. North Dakota again ranked as the top producer of dry beans in 2008 (NASS 2009). Michigan, Nebraska and Minnesota rounded out the top four states.

U.S. production of dry beans totaled 25.6 million cwt in 2008 and was valued at $975.5 million (ERS 2009). Although one of the world's leading dry bean exporters, the United States is also increasing its import of certain dry beans.  September 2009 ... Dry Edible Beans


Marketing

• Common Bean: The Nearly Perfect Food, Centro Internacional de Agricultura Tropical (CIAT), Colombia - Explains why common beans are the world’s most important food legume.
• Dry Beans, Economic Research Service (ERS), USDA.
• Dry Edible Beans, Vegetables and Melons Outlook, ERS, USDA, 2009. 
• Dry Beans, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, Ottawa, Ontario.
• Economic Issues with Dry Edible Beans, Kansas State University, 2002.
• Factors Affecting Dry Bean Consumption in the United States, ERS, USDA, 2000 - This report examines the consumption distribution of dry beans, using a USDA food-intake survey. The southern and western areas of the United States use the most dry beans. People of Hispanic origin, 11 percent of the U.S. population, consume one-third of all dry beans.
• Nebraska Dry Bean Commission - The Commission’s primary function is to adopt and devise a dry bean program consisting of research, education, advertising, publicity and promotion to increase total consumption of dry beans on a state, national and international basis.
• Northarvest Bean Growers Association - Association of dry bean growers from the upper Midwest. Site includes grower information, bean dealers and consumer information.
• USDA Ag Market News, Grain and Oilseed Reports, University of Nebraska - National report on bean, pea and lentil weekly markets.
• U.S. Dry Bean Council - A private trade association in the United States that represents growers and shippers of U.S. edible dry beans.

Production

• Alternative Ag Ventures - Dry Beans, Center for Innovative Food Technology, Ohio.
• BeanGenes - A plant genome database that currently contains information relevant to Phaseolus and Vigna species.
• Center-Pivot-Irrigated Dry Edible Bean Cost-Return Budget in Western Kansas, Kansas State University, 2007.
• Dry Beans, Integrated Pest Management guidelines, University of California, Davis. 
• Integrated Pest Management Pest Information Platform for Extension and Education (IPMPIPE) - An online warning system to help soybean farmers protect their crop from Asian Soybean Rust (ASR). Farmers can use maps of nationwide sentinel planting results to assess the likelihood of disease and whether there is need for preventative fungicide applications. Other management tools and information are available on this site.

Businesses/Case Studies

• 21st Century Alliance: Vertical Integration and the Pinto Bean Industry, Kansas State University, 2002 - Overview of the pinto bean industry and some decisions faced by 21st Century Alliance.
• Be'an smart, Ag Innovation News, Agricultural Utilization Research Institute, 2003 - A Minnesota company is seeking new uses for low-value navy bean culls.

Links checked October 2009.