Dry bean acreage could see an increase in Manitoba this year, while soybean planted area falls back.

Roxanne Roels, executive director of the Manitoba Pulse Growers Association Inc., said early indications suggest dry bean area in the province could climb to around 150,000, up about 10,000 acres from the previous year.

Meanwhile, soybean seeded area looks poised to come in at around 350,000 to 400,000 acres, she said, down from 440,000 in 2009 but still well above the 313,000 acres seeded in 2008 and just 212,000 in 2007.

Roels attributed the expected increase in dry bean acres to last year’s average to above average yields, and the fact that current prices remain relatively attractive. "Edible beans are likely to garner a lot of attention from producers this spring and we are anticipating that area to those crops will be up.”

Soybean area in the province could suffer because of price pressure from this year’s record crop in South America, although Roels said spring weather will also be a significant factor in deciding acreage.

"There is no doubt that of the pulse crops in Manitoba, more and more producers like the thought of planting soybeans, but it's the price outlook that is a bit worrisome," she said. "It would be fantastic if soybean plantings in the spring in the province held steady with the year ago level but that may not be in the cards."

As for dry peas, Roels said she expects the general decline in acreage in the province to continue.

As recently as 2008, producers planted about 95,000 acres to dry beans in Manitoba. That slipped to around 70,000 last year and Roels estimated 2010 planted area at 65,000.

"Prices for peas have been on the decline, and demand for peas as a feed in Manitoba from the hog industry has also been on the decline, given the increased availability and cheapness of dried distilled grains."