Source: Saskatchewan Agriculture and Food
They may not be the item most quick to disappear off the shelf in Saskatchewan grocery stores, but they sure are popular among consumers with Latin American roots.
Pinto bean are a staple legume often served in many dishes.
The longer it stays-whiter, the better according to Saskatchewan Pulse Growers Chairman Dean Corbett.
"Freshness is very important. A whiter coloured bean is associated with the perception of freshness by consumers and the product therefore becomes more attractive to them as a result."
Saskatchewan Pulse Growers (SPG), Walker Seeds Ltd. (WSL), the Crop Development Centre (CDC) at the University of Saskatchewan (U of S) and Keg Agro Ltd. recently embarked on an initiative in response to increased demand for beans that stay fresher looking longer.
Under a seven-year agreement, Walker Seeds Ltd. and Keg Agro Ltd. will be licensed to produce, process and market all slow darkening pinto beans developed by the University of Saskatchewan's Crop Development Centre, including variety 1533-15, which is currently in its first year of pedigreed seed production.
"This agreement will put Saskatchewan on the map as a pinto bean exporter because of a promising new variety that will only be grown and processed in Saskatchewan," says Corbett. "This is Canada's first pinto bean variety that stays fresh looking and lighter coloured longer than conventional pinto bean varieties, which tend to darken over time."
Walker Seeds will contract the production of the beans and will be responsible for promotion and marketing to end use customers. Keg Agro Ltd. will process the beans. Big Dog Farms based in Oxbow, Saskatchewan and Willner Agri Ltd. based in Davidson, Saskatchewan will be involved in seed multiplication.
SPG and the CDC have a long-standing commercialization agreement, whereby all pulse varieties developed by the CDC are released through SPG's Variety Release Program.
Since slow darkening pinto beans are unique, the Variety Release Program is treating them differently.
"We want to keep them completely separated from other pinto bean varieties so that their identity is preserved and the end market can take full advantage of their unique characteristics," according to Dr. Bert Vandenberg, the CDC breeder developing the varieties.
"Walker Seeds and Keg Agro are providing the key - a direct link from the breeding program to the marketplace."
Dr. Kirstin Bett with the U of S department of plant sciences and graduate student Donna Junk have shown that the slow darkening beans can maintain colour for more than one year. Most other pinto varieties show noticeable signs of darkening by six months and sometimes much sooner than this depending on harvest and storage conditions.
One of the biggest market opportunities for pinto beans is right here in North America.
When the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) comes into full effect in 2008-09 and Mexican tariffs on pinto beans are removed, Canada will have an opportunity to compete because of lower land and production costs.
The NAFTA pinto bean market is very sensitive to quality, with colour and freshness as the biggest quality concerns.
"Pinto beans are the most widely consumed bean variety in the USA and a major consumer group is Hispanic Americans," explains Gildardo Silva, WSL's Sales Manager for Latin America and Europe.
"Pinto beans are also one of the most popular varieties in northern Mexico. Because product freshness is associated with a white shiny colour, CDC's new slow darkening pintos will be an ideal fit for these markets."
For more information, contact:
Garth Patterson
Executive Director
Saskatchewan Pulse Growers
(306) 668-6676
Comments