Some 70 percent of the pinto beans produced in North America are consumed domestically. For detailed Beans Variety information click here . For Beans Seed Availability information click here . Common beans, called dry beans in Western North America and field beans in Eastern North America, are an ancient crop native to South and Central America. 16 million metric tonnes of dry beans are produced annually.
Brazil is the leading producer of dry beans, followed by Mexico.
North Americans consume more beans annually than any other pulse. Saskatchewan was a dry bean producer in the 1920s and 1930s, but since the 1970s, most of the beans grown on the prairies are grown under irrigation in Alberta and on dryland in southern Manitoba. Since the seeds emerge from the ground at germination, even a short exposure to frost will kill the plant. Frost late in the season will also kill plants and cause quality losses in any seed containing more 25 percent moisture. Due to its extreme sensitivity to frost, a major limitation to bean production is the length of the frost-free season.