Wet weather brings 37 per cent fall in bean production

The UK’s bean output has fallen by more than a third after poor weather hit production last year.

Defra’s agricultural land use statistics, published this month, show the total cropping area for field beans has fallen from 208,154ha to 131,718ha, which represents a reduction of 37 per cent.

The Processors and Growers Research Organisation (PGRO) said a combination of factors contributed to the fall in the area of beans grown in the UK. Wet weather last autumn stifled drilling for many, it said, while spring 2024 fieldwork was also challenging, leading to some farmers abandoning plans to establish beans.

Sustainable Farming Incentive (SFI) options have also displaced break crops in the rotation, it added.

PGRO described the figures as “not surprising”, but caveated that the accuracy of the data is often questioned by the trade. “After a difficult year and harvest, it’s no surprise that many farmers have turned to the SFI – farmers need to do what’s best for their business and we agree that they should be paid for providing positive environmental outcomes,” said PGRO chief executive Roger Vickers.

“The fall in area is unlikely to be as significant as is being reported. Because pulses are such a small sample size, Defra acknowledges that accuracy is extremely difficult.

“However, we remain worried that farmers might overlook the important role pulses can play on their farms, and would urge them to make sure they’re fully aware of the impact some SFI options can have on their future rotation.”

Production area likely higher 

Andy Bury, a trader with Frontier Agriculture, told the PGRO’s podcast that he estimated the combined winter and spring beans area was closer to 165,000ha. “We agree the area is down but we think it’s substantially higher than the Defra figures,” he said.

Earlier this year, PGRO outlined its concerns that well-intentioned SFI agreements could negatively impact future pulse production opportunities. With legumes being included in some SFI options it could mean that they are left in the ground for a number of years – or are very frequently present – increasing the likelihood of soil-borne diseases in future pulse crops.

A number of SFI options encourage the use of either long-term or frequent short-term use of legume species, in either legume-rich ley mixtures or catch and cover crops.

The potential green bridging effect and risk to future pulse cropping as a result is significant, PGRO said, as disease and pest levels build in the soil, and may seriously impact the viability of pulse crops in the future.

“A normal, sensible rotation would not encourage pulses closer than one crop in five, and yet in an SFI scenario soils might easily have almost continuous host legumes present,” said Vickers. “This puts farmers at risk of not being able to plant beans afterwards for a few years once the SFI agreement is finished.”

Vickers noted that the benefits that pulses bring to a rotation are widely recognised. “It is hard to find another group of crops that offer more positive potential for environmental good and long-term sustainability via increased production than legumes,” he said.

“Pulses provide nitrogen, and improve soil fertility for the following crops, they have a favourable environmental profile and growing more of them is seen as having huge potential to help reduce carbon emissions from the UK agricultural sector. Numerous studies have also confirmed the positive benefits of beans and peas to pollinators, insects and birds.”

‘Great time to grow beans’

PGRO said there has never been a better time to consider growing beans, with groundbreaking initiatives taking place such as the Nitrogen Efficient Plants for Climate Smart Arable Cropping Systems (NCS) Project.

The £5.9m programme, which is funded by the Defra Farming Innovation Programme and delivered by Innovate UK, is working with 200 UK farms and 18 partners to bring about a reduction of 1.5Mt CO₂e per annum or 54 per cent of the maximum potential for UK agriculture by increasing pulse and legume cropping in arable rotations to 20 per cent across the UK.

“We understand why SFI is appealing, but we implore farmers to consider the bigger picture,” Vickers said. “Don’t make decisions that could have long-term implications based on one bad year – the SFI agreement is for three years, but it has the potential to impact your rotation for many years after that.”