Dry bean buyers and traders from Portugal, Mexico, Brazil, Belgium, and South Africa

Seventeen dry bean buyers and traders from Portugal, Mexico, Brazil, Belgium, and South Africa spent the morning at NCI, learning more about NCI’s work with U.S. dry beans.  They were sponsored by the U.S. Dry Bean Council.  David Hahn, NCI Director of Technical Services and Business Development, gave an overview of NCI’s history and hosted the group on a tour of the NCI laboratories. Thunyaporn Naggie Jeradechachai, NCI Crop Quality Specialist, reviewed a number of experimental projects based on beans and bean flour that she has conducted to develop snacks, confectionaries, and baking ingredients.  Carman Lindblad, USDA-GIPSA  Agricultural Commodities Grader, explained the methods of grading used in dry beans.  The group visited Michigan before coming to North Dakota.  They will continue on to Nebraska later this week.  In U.S. dry bean production, North Dakota ranks first; Michigan is #2; Nebraska is #3; and Minnesota is #4.