08/20/07 Idaho bean harvest underway

The cutting of Treasure Valley bean fields started earlier this month. CARLQUIST "This heat is pushing the crop for good or bad. I guess we'll find out here in a couple of weeks." Doug Carlquist is a Magic Valley farmer and Idaho Bean Commissioner. The summer heat that has set records in some parts of southern Idaho will impact crops to some extent. CARLQUIST "Sometimes you look like you have a good crop and then towards the end the pods blank out or drop a few more than you think but right now I think where people have had sufficient water I think the crop actually looks pretty good." Some growers in the Magic Valley are down to an 80 percent supply of irrigation water and the prospect of the water being shut off in early September for a week to ten days to conserve. Carlquist says his crop of seed beans, pinto and small reds should be made by then. While you think about weather and water, think about price. CARLQUIST "A lot of it is going to depend on the crop that comes out of Michigan and North Dakota whether the prices remains strong or whether they slide a little bit. North Dakota raises such a huge quantity of beans that if they pull off a good harvest it has a tendency at least at harvest time to depress the market a little bit." Carlquist is optimistic that it won't be an over abundant crop and prices will remain what he calls 'decent.' Voice of Idaho Agriculture Bill Scott