AN ECONOMIC ASSESSMENT OF SNAP BEANS Executive Summary Snap bean (Phaseolus vulgaris of the legume family, Leguminosae) is an annual, warm-season crop grown primarily for its young, edible, fleshy pods. Snap beans are often referred to as green beans and wax beans (beans with edible yellow pods), or sometimes called "string" beans. There are three general types of snap beans grown in the United States--bush beans, pole beans, and half-runner varieties. All three types are annuals and grown from seed. Commercial snap bean production consists mainly of bush beans and pole beans. Snap beans are grown widely across the United States, and are marketed either fresh or processed (canned and frozen). Fresh-market snap bean production is dominated by the southern states, especially by Florida and Georgia. California and New York are also leading states in fresh-market snap bean production. Wisconsin, Oregon, and Michigan, on the other hand, lead the country in snap bean production for processing. Fresh-market snap bean production is estimated to reach 409 million pounds in 1995, about unchanged from 1994. Production has increased annually from 1990 through 1993, due partly to increased acreage. In 1994, production declined fractionally from a year ago, due partly to reduced acreage. Fresh-market snap bean output in 1994 was valued at $150.7 million. A majority of the snap beans produced in the United States is for processing. According to USDA's National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS), 80 percent of total snap bean production in 1994 was grown for processing and 20 percent was grown for the fresh market. In terms of harvested acreage, only 27 percent was for the fresh market while the remaining share was for processing. As a warm-season crop, snap beans thrive in a frost-free climate, with warm days and bright sunshine. However, it is difficult to grow snap beans in areas with hot, humid climates because of problems with diseases. The optimum mean temperature for good growth is 60F. Average temperatures above 80F may result in slow growth. Snap beans require a constant supply of moisture, particularly during the blossom and pod-set period. About an inch of water per week is required for successful production. Moisture stress during the blossom or pod-set period may cause blossom and pod drop, which results in reduced yields. Thirty-six percent of all farms with snap bean production in 1992 used irrigation, down 1 percent from 1987. Fifty-seven percent of the harvested acreage in 1992 was irrigated, up from 52 percent in 1987. Snap beans can be hand harvested or machine harvested. Those harvested for the fresh market are usually hand-picked to minimize the risk of injuries to the bean pods. However, more and more hybrid varieties well-suited for mechanical handling are becoming available to growers. Snap beans grown for processing are generally harvested mechanically. Frost and drought are major perils affecting snap beans. Snap bean plants are very sensitive to cold temperatures and will freeze from a slight frost. Snap beans are also sensitive to moisture stress, particularly during flowering and pod development. Moisture stress during flowering will most likely cause blossoms to fall off the plant and consequently result in a substantial decline in yields. Moisture deprivation during pod development can also lengthen the maturity period and result in small, shrivelled pods. Excess moisture can also result in low yields. Beans, along with many vegetable crops, may be subject to many diseases during the growing cycle. Root rot, damping-off, and seed rots are major diseases of snap beans. Proper crop rotations, field selection, sanitation, plant spacings, fertilization, irrigation, and the use of resistant varieties can reduce the risk of many diseases. Disaster assistance payments for fresh-market snap bean losses totaled $20.6 million over the 1988-93 period. This total accounted for 61 percent of the total disaster payments made to snap bean growers, including payments made to growers of snap beans for processing. The largest payments were made in 1988, at $5.4 million, due mainly to a serious drought. In terms of state ranking, eighty-one percent of total disaster payments for fresh-market snap bean losses during 1988 to 1993 were made to Tennessee (17 percent of the U.S. total), Georgia (16 percent of the U.S. total), Michigan, North Carolina, Florida, Alabama, Virginia, Texas, New Jersey, and South Carolina growers. Lack of moisture, very wet conditions, hail, and freeze were the widely-cited production perils during this period. There were no disaster payments for fresh-market snap bean losses in California between 1988 to 1993, even though the state represented an average of 8 percent of the nation's harvested acreage. During 1992 to 1994, all of the planted acreage was harvested. Other western states such as Idaho, Utah, and Washington, each received only less than one percent of total disaster payments between 1988 and 1993.