Australian Natural Resources Atlas

Natural Resource Topics

Agriculture - National Horticulture Industry Profiles - Beans and Peas

Beans and peas

Beans and peas are grown almost exclusively for domestic consumption in Australia. They represented about 2% of the gross value of horticulture in 1996/7. Green peas and French and runner beans are the main crops. Almost all green peas and about half of the French and runner beans are processed into frozen product. Similar areas of green peas and beans are grown, but beans are worth about twice the gross value of production.

Major producing areas

Tasmania and Queensland are the major production states. Green pea production has been scaled back in recent times due to a drop in demand, and to some extent the replacement of peas by other vegetables.

Total production of beans in 1997 was 37,609 tonnes. This was a significant increase on the previous five year production outputs. Production for the processing market was 51%. Production for the fresh market was 49% or 18380 tonnes.

French beans are available all year round while runner beans are available from February to March and from September to October. Total area of planted French and runner beans for the year to March 1997 was 7899 hectares. The value of bean production at farmgate was $39 m in 1996/97, an increase of $2.3 m or 6.2 % over 1995/96. The gross value of production for the same period was $41.4 m.

Peas

Crops produced

Crop
1996/97		 Area
(ha)		 Production
(t)		 Value
($m)
Broad beans 40 120 0.1
French & runner beans (fresh) 4 890 18 380 34.3
French & runner beans (process) 3 010 19 230 7.2
French & runner beans (seed) 30 170 1.7
Green peas (fresh) 580 1 380 2.6
Green peas (process) 8 740 42 210 15.5
Green peas (seed) 390 860 8.3
Snow peas 370 910 4.9
Total 18 040 83 260 74.6
Percentage of total area Agro-ecological region

Major production regions

Region Agro-ecological region Area
(ha)		 Production
(t)		 Value
($m)		 % of total crop area
Bowen, Qld North-east wet/dry tropics 2 200 9 300 15.3 12
Northern Midlands, Tas Temperate highlands/wet temperate coasts 1 830 8 800 4.1 10
Burnie-Devonport, Tas Wet temperate coasts 1 340 9 000 4.0 7
Meander Valley, Tas Wet temperate coasts 1 150 5 800 3.4 6
North West, Tas Wet temperate coasts 1 040 6 600 3.0 6
Southern Coast, WA Temperate slopes & plains 870 1 800 2.8 5
Cooloola, Qld Wet subtropical coast 680 3 300 5.8 4
Central West, NSW Temperate highlands/ 560 2 000 0.9 3
Beaudesert, Qld Wet subtropical coast 550 2 000 1.8 3
East Gippsland, Vic Temperate highlands 490 1 400 3.2 3
North East, Tas Wet temperate coasts 430 1 900 1.0 2
Lockyer Valley, Qld Subtropical slopes & plains/ 420 2 000 1.9 2
Production, production trends and exports

Production, production trends and exports

Australian exports of French and runner beans declined in 1997/98. Export volumes were down 61 tonnes on the previous year. Import volume for 1997/98 amounted to 863 tonnes, with the majority coming from the USA.

Industry contact

AusVeg: RMB 5307, Strathbogie, Victoria 3666; telephone: (03) 5790 5247

Production and value data sources

Horticultural Research and Development Corporation 2000, Horticultural Productivity and Sustainability Project

Australian Bureau of Statistics 1996, AgStats 1996-97

National Land and Water Resources Audit 2000, non-agricultural land mask from 1:1 000 000 Landuse in Australia

Agriculture Fisheries Forestry - Australia 1996, Agro-ecological Regions of Australia

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