Organization Name: Minnesota Dry Bean Research & Promotion Council
Website: www.northarvestbean.org
Facebook: facebook.com/northarvestbean/
Twitter: twitter.com/northarvestbean
What industry/sector do you identify with?
Associations & Non-Profits
Number of employees, member patrons, growers, shareholders etc. in Minnesota:
Employees: 3
Growers: 2400
What about your organization or company’s work are you most proud of?
The MN Dry Bean Research & Promotion Council is most proud of our advocacy in research, education, and promotion of 10 classes of dry beans grown in Minnesota. The organization represents 2400+ dry bean farmers.
Please highlight key trends affecting your industry.
The Council, representing dry bean farmers, has experienced transportation issues that have elevated the cost of movement of our dry bean classes through the cost of containers to lack of ability to move product efficiently. Dry beans are a specialty crop, so access to crop management tools is a continuing regulatory issue for our farmers. Trade policy has been restrictive in movement of our end products.
Talk about the key opportunities & challenges facing your business over the next 5 years.
The Council strives to educate consumers on the benefits of consuming dry beans. Policy hurdles like Maximum Residue Level inconsistencies in the market can cause a lot of issues for our processors. A burgeoning ingredient and plant protein market offers exciting opportunities, but many regulatory roadblocks in offering new products to the marketplace. Crop insurance safety nets for farmers are critical to growing our crops, and end use market development provides access to markets for our farmers. We do see a bright future for dry bean farmers.
