Field pea is a coolseason legume crop that is grown on over 25 million acres worldwide. Field pea or dry pea is marketed as a dry, shelled product for either human or livestock food. Field pea differs from fresh or succulent pea, which is marketed as a fresh or canned vegetable. The major producing countries of field pea are Russia and China, followed by Canada, Europe, Australia and the United States. Europe, Australia, Canada and the United States raise over 4.5 million acres and are major exporters of peas. In 2002, there were approximately 300,000 acres of field peas grown in the United States. Historically, field pea was primarily grown in the Palouse region of Washington and Idaho. In the 1990s, North Dakota, South Dakota, Montana and Minnesota began producing dry peas. In 1991, approximately 1,600 acres of dry peas were planted in North Dakota; in 2002 157,000 acres were planted. The majority over 70 percent of the dry pea produced in the United States is exported.

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