Bean Season

Green beans are available year-round in Australia, with peak supply from autumn through winter. Queensland drives the calendar. The state's warm growing regions deliver from April to August, while Tasmania and Victoria fill out the southern-hemisphere shoulder months. The thinnest period is December and January when summer heat curbs output across most states.

Beans are in season across winter and autumn in Australia, with peak supply from April to September.

Commercial green beans (Phaseolus vulgaris) are warm-season crops needing frost-free conditions and moderate temperatures. Bush types are harvest-ready in around 10 weeks from seed. Climbing varieties take 12 to 14 weeks. Like all legumes they fix their own nitrogen, so heavy fertilising can actually reduce pod set. Fresh-market crops are picked young, before seeds swell and pods get stringy. According to Ausveg data, Tasmanian yields have historically run close to 70% above the national average in strong seasons. Queensland's large-scale fresh-market operations dominate volume, with average production per grower roughly double the national figure.

Green beans are native to Central and South America, introduced to Australia with European settlement. The commercial crop is dominated by French bean (Phaseolus vulgaris) varieties, sold simply as green beans. Growers don't differentiate by variety at retail. According to Ausveg Veggie Stats (2018) and Hort Innovation, Queensland accounts for around 53% of national production (2024/25) from the Lockyer Valley, Darling Downs and tropical northern growing areas. Tasmania follows at about 24%, mainly from the northern midlands. Victoria accounts for 13.5% and NSW 7.6%.

According to Hort Innovation, Australia produced around 27,700 tonnes of fresh beans in 2024/25 worth $129.8 million at the farm gate and $148.6 million at wholesale, down from a peak of around 38,000 tonnes in 2018/19 as planting area has gradually tightened. All Australian fresh bean production now targets the domestic fresh market. Ausveg reported in 2016/17 that the share going to processing had dropped to zero. Exports are modest at 914 tonnes worth $5.8 million in 2024/25, almost entirely to New Zealand, though Australia has historically imported more frozen beans by value than it exports fresh and frozen combined, mainly from New Zealand, China and Belgium, as Ausveg (2011) noted.