INIFAP Develops Climate-Resilient Bean Varieties

Mexico's National Institute for Forestry, Agriculture and Livestock Research (INIFAP) is developing improved bean varieties to increase productivity, strengthen producer incomes and enhance climate resilience, supporting the federal government's strategy to boost domestic food production as bean prices continue to rise amid drought-driven supply constraints.

The institute said its breeding program focuses on improving yields, disease resistance and drought tolerance while enhancing the nutritional quality of one of Mexico's most important staple crops.

Beans remain a strategic crop for Mexico due to their economic, social and nutritional importance. The initiative forms part of President Claudia Sheinbaum's Bean Plan, included as commitment No. 64 of her administration to strengthen national food production and advance food self-sufficiency.

Black and Pinto beans account for more than half of Mexico's planted bean area, representing approximately 900,000ha and the majority of domestic production and consumption.

Demand for Black beans is concentrated in central and southeastern Mexico, while Pinto beans remain the dominant variety in northern states. In recent decades, Pinto cultivation has expanded into central and west-central regions, including Nayarit and Sinaloa during the fall-winter production cycle.

New Varieties Target Productivity and Climate Risks

Over more than a decade of research, INIFAP has released 11 improved Black bean varieties. These varieties offer higher yield potential, broader adaptation to different agroecological conditions and resistance or tolerance to the principal diseases affecting bean production.

The institute also highlighted quality improvements, including shorter cooking times and higher levels of protein, dietary fiber, carotenoids and minerals, supporting healthier diets for consumers.

Moreover, for Pinto beans, INIFAP has developed 8 varieties, which are adapted to rainfed production in semiarid highland regions during the spring-summer season while also performing well under irrigation in multiple producing regions, including Nayarit, Sinaloa and the Bajío region.

One distinguishing characteristic is their slow grain darkening, which extends commercial shelf life and improves marketability. INIFAP also announced that an improved version derived from Pinto Saltillo, developed through selection focused on plant and grain health, will soon enter the official registration process.

The institute said its research increasingly focuses on developing genetic materials better adapted to drought conditions by improving water-use efficiency, yield stability under water stress and performance under greater climate variability.

According to INIFAP, these efforts reinforce its commitment to scientific and technological innovation that strengthens sustainable food production, improves the competitiveness of Mexico's agrifood sector and supports the government's food self-sufficiency objectives.

Drought Continues to Pressure Bean Supply

INIFAP's breeding efforts come as drought continues to reduce domestic bean production and tighten supplies across Mexico. According to the Agricultural Markets Consulting Group (GCMA), bean prices have continued to rise due to prolonged drought, declining inventories and stronger demand for seed used during recent planting cycles. The organization projects that Mexico's bean production fell by 30.7%, prompting a 56.6% increase in bean imports, primarily from the United States.

The consultancy also reported that inventories of Pinto Saltillo held by SEGALMEX have been depleted, while stocks of Black Jamapa beans have been exhausted in Nayarit.

In Durango, where drought conditions during the spring-summer production cycle have been described as more severe than those experienced in 2011, Pinto and Black bean prices have increased from MX$22/kg to MX$30/kg.

GCMA estimates that only about 325,000t of beans could be harvested from approximately 984,000ha planted during the 2023 spring-summer cycle, compared to the 750,000-800,000t produced in a typical year. The national planted area was also 22% below the original planting program.

The organization attributed the production decline to persistent moisture deficits caused by anticyclonic weather systems affecting northern, northeastern and northwestern Mexico. Accumulated rainfall in Durango, Chihuahua and Zacatecas remained below 200mm through mid-September, roughly 30% below the historical average for the hydrological year.

Despite beans remaining Mexico's primary dietary legume, consumption has gradually declined. According to researchers at UNAM, beans have increasingly been perceived as a low-income food while processed foods have gained popularity. Data from AGRICULTURA's Panorama Agroalimentario show annual per capita bean consumption declined from 16kg in 1980 to 11kg in 2022, even as the crop remains central to Mexico's food security strategy.