Bean seed flows following trade mission

Severe weather in Mexico prevents use of saved seed

By SEAN ELLIS

Capital Press

Since Mexican officials asked Idaho bean growers last month to help them get through a dire situation, Gem State companies have sent several train carloads of dry beans to that country.

Because of severe weather conditions and a drought, Mexico's growers are facing an emergency situation and need an almost immediate supply of dry bean seed for next season. That country is also in the unusual position of needing a significant amount of commercial bean imports.

During an Idaho trade mission to Mexico in early December, leaders of several major grower cooperatives and Mexican government officials asked Idaho Bean Commission members to help meet those needs.

Idaho's bean industry has been following through on its promise to help their Mexican counterparts get through one of their worst production seasons on record.

While individual companies would not release exact numbers, several sources confirmed the Idaho industry has sent a lot more commercial beans as well as bean seed shipments than normal to Mexico in recent weeks.

"A very significant amount of ... beans from the Treasure Valley area have been sent to Mexico since the trade mission," said Don Tolmie, production manager for Treasure Valley Seed Co.

"We've had word that many railcars of bean seed have been sent down to Mexico since the lieutenant governor's trade mission there," IBC Administrator Diana Caldwell said.

Besides the severe weather conditions Mexico's bean-producing regions have faced recently, Mexican officials told IBC members that cultural planting and harvest practices as well as technological and economic issues significantly reduced that country's bean production last year.

"This hasn't happened on this scale since 1977," Tolmie said about the current bean shortage in Mexico. "This year is an anomaly. It's very unusual. They're needing a bunch of it."

IBC Chairman Lorell Skogsberg said Idaho's bean industry clearly understands Mexico's industry is in an emergency situation right now and the opportunity might not last long. But assisting Mexico's bean growers will help Gem State farmers increase their footprint in that market and help facilitate future opportunities.

"The important thing is the growers and shippers down there see the value of Idaho seed and commercial beans," he said. "It's an opportunity to get our seed into that market more than we have in the past."

Mexico's bean growers have traditionally used saved seed -- a practice that involves saving the best seed from each harvest and using it again -- because of cost concerns.

Caldwell said with the large amount of Idaho bean seed going into that country this year, "they should be able to see very clearly the difference between planting certified Idaho seed and saved seed."