6.4 Million Tonnes of Broad and Field Beans in the EU (2021–2025): A Complete Data Breakdown

EU Market Share: Who Dominates Production?

Over the 2021–2025 period, EU broad and field bean production totalled 6.44 million tonnes. Germany is the largest producer with 1 132 thousand tonnes (226 thousand t/yr), representing 17.6% of EU output. France ranks second with 1 058 thousand tonnes (212 thousand t/yr, 16.4%), while Lithuania places third with 1 027 thousand tonnes (205 thousand t/yr, 16.0%). These three countries together account for exactly half of all EU broad and field bean production.

Outside the EU, Turkey produced 1 149 thousand tonnes over the same period, a volume comparable to the entire French or Lithuanian output.

Agricultural Efficiency: Yield per Hectare

While Germany and France dominate total volume, the highest-yielding EU member states for broad and field beans are Ireland, Denmark, and Belgium. Ireland achieves 4.96 tonnes per hectare (2025), the highest yield among all EU producers. Denmark follows at 4.43 t/ha and Belgium at 4.22 t/ha.

Among the top producers by volume, Germany achieves a solid 3.42 t/ha and Lithuania 3.01 t/ha, while France yields 2.52 t/ha. This indicates that France and Lithuania dedicate larger land areas to compensate for moderate per-hectare productivity, while Ireland and Denmark achieve high output with smaller cultivated footprints.

Regional and Climatic Divides Across Europe

Broad and field bean production is concentrated in Northern and Central Europe, with a secondary belt in the Mediterranean. Western Europe (Germany, France, Ireland, Denmark, Belgium, Netherlands) produced 3 003 thousand tonnes, or 46.7% of the EU total. The Baltic states (Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia) together contributed 1 612 thousand tonnes (25.0%), making the Baltic region the second most important production zone.

Southern Europe (Italy, Spain, Greece, Croatia, Portugal) added 811 thousand tonnes (12.6%), while Eastern Europe (Poland, Czechia, Romania, Hungary) produced 580 thousand tonnes (9.0%).

This geographic spread shows that broad and field beans thrive in cooler, temperate climates, with the Baltic and Nordic regions contributing nearly a third of total EU output despite shorter growing seasons.

Temporal Trends: Market Stability vs. Volatility

EU broad and field bean production grew steadily from 1 122 thousand tonnes in 2021 to 1 481 thousand tonnes in 2025, a 32% increase. Lithuania showed the strongest upward trajectory, rising from 136 thousand tonnes in 2021 to 256 thousand tonnes in 2025 — an 87% increase over five years. France also demonstrated consistent growth, climbing from 184 thousand tonnes to 283 thousand tonnes (54% growth).

Germany, the largest producer, showed more volatility: output peaked at 250 thousand tonnes in 2022, dropped sharply to 175 thousand tonnes in 2023 (a 30% decline), then recovered to 244 thousand tonnes in 2024 and 227 thousand tonnes in 2025. This fluctuation may reflect rotational farming patterns and variable weather conditions.

Data quality: 2025 data for several countries carries provisional ("p") or estimated ("e") flags and may be revised in subsequent transmissions. The overall trend direction is clear regardless.

Land Allocation: How Countries Prioritize Farmland

The EU dedicated 2 415 thousand hectares to broad and field beans over the 2021–2025 period, averaging 483 thousand hectares per year. France allocates the largest area with 419 thousand hectares (annual avg 84 thousand ha/yr), representing 17.4% of the EU total. Lithuania ranks second with 387 thousand hectares (77 thousand ha/yr, 16.0%), while Germany uses 318 thousand hectares (64 thousand ha/yr, 13.2%).

France's large land allocation combined with moderate yields explains its position as the second-largest producer. Lithuania's 387 thousand hectares with yields of 3.01 t/ha positions it as a highly efficient producer relative to its geographic size.

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