Dry-bean growing areas in California’s Sacramento and San Joaquin valleys increased in acreage, yields, and total production in 2016, compared to the previous year.

The National Agricultural Statistics Service pegs 2016 California statewide dry bean acreage at 50,000 acres, up about 10 percent from the year earlier. Yields increased slightly in 2016 to 2,330 pounds per acre, 20 pounds higher than 2015 (2,310 pounds/acre).

Statewide, 2016 dry bean production grew 7 percent to 1.141 million hundredweight (cwt), up from 1.029 million hundredweight (cwt) in 2015.

San Joaquin Valley dry bean acreage totaled 27,000 acres last year compared to 20,000 acres in the Sacramento Valley. About 3,000 acres were grown in other areas.

Last year, the California county with the most planted acreage was Sutter County (10,500 acres) followed in descending order by San Joaquin County (7,500 acres), Fresno and Stanislaus counties (5,800 acres each), Tulare County (5,100 acres), Colusa County (3,800), and Merced County (800).