The GPC’s Ask The Experts Europe UK panel featured Michael Shuldham of Pulses UK as Moderator/Analyst and James Maguire of KWS UK and Andy Bury of Frontier Agriculture as Panelists.
Andy Bury gave an overview of the UK fava bean crop, mentioning that yields are very variable and expressing the need for more consistency. He indicated that fava beans often lose sowing area to grains in the UK and quality can also be variable due to planting conditions, weather and insect activity. Export demand for human consumption usually comes from Egypt and Sudan but he stressed that volumes vary and the UK is competing with the large crops and good quality of fava beans from Australia and the Baltics.
James Maguire discussed the UK dry pea market, highlighting that peas are a smaller crop compared to beans and that the UK grows four distinct types: maple, marrowfat, yellow and large blue. He mentioned the popular demand from Asia due to the UK’s high chain of traceability and that both changes in consumer habits and the growing fractionation market are causing an exciting increase in the yellow pea market. The planted area of peas is set to increase this year as a result of that, as well as changes in rotations. Maguire finished by giving an overview of the work of Pulses UK.
Both panelists observed that there has been almost no disruption in movement post-Brexit and that exports are business as usual.
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