Fava beans and Solutions
The global market & RAGT
Fava beans are pulses and are grown in temperate climates. Adapted for food and feed outlets, these large seeds offer energy and digestible protein.
The major producers in the global field bean market are China, Ethiopia, Europe and Australia. In Europe, the UK is the biggest grower with one third of the acreage. Most of the fava beans are spring types cultivated in the north of Europe. Nevertheless, winter types are becoming more popular with farmers as they offer more flexibility and better resilience regarding climate change, which is the major barrier to growing fava beans.
RAGT is active in the major fava beans growing countries and leads the market. The company has always been innovative in this crop, offering original traits such as low vicine / convicine, high protein varieties and a complete portfolio of winter and spring types.
Low vicine convicine.
Winter and spring beans.
Feed and food.
Our Common challenges
The yield of fava beans can be seriously impacted by climate change (drought and heat). As a consequence a shift is observed where farmers are tending to grow more winter fava beans than spring in southern latitudes. In addition the bruchus beetle impacts grain quality with its larvae which drill into the seed. This damage limits the ability to export the seed and to gain added value.
RAGT for farmers: yield, stability, and also
RAGT has developed a unique portfolio of solutions covering both winter and spring cycles. Some of the varieties are a reference for the European market, such as Tiffany. Fava beans are also an alternative for farmers who cannot grow peas due to Aphanomyces.
RAGT For Industries : Quality
The company has converted some markets by bringing through high performing varieties with the low vicine / convicine traits.
Our breeders were able to significantly decrease the level of this anti-nutritional factor in order to raise the interests of the feed market, epecially poultry where significant positive effects are noticed. On the food market, the low vicine / convicine traits are also an advantage against favism, a blood disease which affects 5 – 10% of the Mediterranean population.
Our Fava bean solutions
Did you know ?
Two types of fava beans exist and the size defines the use. The large sized grains are dedicated to food consumption as an edible grain. RAGT breeds the other type with small/average sized grains. They are historically channelled to feed animals but more and more used as ingredients for food outlets. The thousand grain weight gap between the two types is approximately 500g!
Reasons to grow Fava bean
- The introduction of fava beans into the rotation regulates the control of disease, pests and weeds. It is appreciated in the rotation with cereals or oilseed rape as it fixes nitrogen in the soil and boosts the yield of the following crop.
