Demand for beans boost for region’s growers

Demand from the Middle East for human-consumption beans continues unabated as another cargo of beans was shipped from Lincolnshire.

Ian Skinn, Gleadell's pulses trader, said: 'We have seen good, continuing demand for UK human-consumption beans during this season to date, including this shipment to Damietta in Egypt, with more to come.

'We are filling two separate holds on the Navin Kestrel – one with Wizard winter beans for the splitting market and the other with Fuego, Nile and Fury spring beans for the table bean market.

'Our buyers in the Middle East need beans at the right quality, and there are good prices available for UK growers who can achieve this. And with demand as strong as ever, prices will remain high, creating good prospects for growers.'

Salvador Potter, chief executive of the Processors and Growers Research Organisation (PGRO) who welcomed more than 80 growers to this week's pea conference near Peterborough, said: 'Buyers in the Middle East like the quality of human-consumption beans the UK can supply, and there is good demand from countries such as Egypt and the Sudan.

'This makes this year's shortage of land available for sowing pulses all the more disappointing. Oilseed rape plantings were up another 5pc last autumn with a consequent winter bean acreage decline of at least a quarter and a reduced availability of land for spring pulses,' he said.

'We are in danger of storing up agronomic problems for the future with over-tight rotations of oilseed rape – while, paradoxically, in equal danger of being unable to meet the strong demand and good prices for pulses due to lack of land.

'We believe it is time for growers to add up the benefits from beans – especially with the new higher-yielding varieties now becoming available – and aim for the quality export markets where good yields on your farm are matched by good prices from the traders.'

Gleadell, which has also an office at Swaffham, loaded 7,000 tonnes of beans for Egypt at Immingham.