NEWS RELEASE
United States Department of Agriculture
National Agricultural Statistics Service
South Dakota Field Office ? Sioux Falls, SD

                                                                                 Media contact:  South Dakota Office, 605/323-6500
                                                                                                               Email:  nass-sd@nass.usda.gov


DRY EDIBLE BEAN PRODUCTION INCREASED

SIOUX FALLS, December 9, 2005 – The 2005 South Dakota dry edible bean production increased 79  percent from last year, according to the South Dakota Office of USDA’a National Agricultural Statistics Service.  Production for 2005 was estimated at 293,000 hundredweight (cwt.), while the 2004 production was 164,000 hundredweight.  Harvested acres, at 17,400, were up 96 percent from 8,900 last year.  Planted acres, at 17,500 were up 8,500 from 2004.

The garbanzo class of dry beans was the most dominant for 2005, with planted acres totaling 6,400 acres, up 2,600 acres from last year.  Pinto acres, at 3,000, were up 800; navy bean acreage totaled 5,500 acres, up 3,600; all other varieties totaled 2,600 acres, up 1,500 from last year.  The garbanzo class is divided into two categories, small and large.  There were no reported acres of small garbanzos, but 6,400 acres of large garbanzos were reported.
 
The overall 2005 yield of 1,680 pounds per acre was down 160 pounds from last year.  The decrease in overall state yield was due to weather and a shift in the acreage of varieties and their corresponding yields.  Production by class and change from a year ago are as follows:  Pinto – 57,000 cwt., up 4 percent; Navy – 119,000 cwt., up 261 percent; Garbanzo – 70,000 cwt., up 37 percent; all other classes – 47,000 cwt., up 88 percent.


Access this complete report at:
http://usda.mannlib.cornell.edu/reports/nassr/field/pcp-bb/2005/crop1205.pdf