China Mung Bean Market: High Prices Hold Despite April Correction

Chinese mung bean prices have eased slightly after a sharp rally in March, but overall levels remain historically high as low domestic stocks and constrained Myanmar arrivals keep supply tight. Market participants expect firmness through late April and only limited downside in May despite some additional imports.

After March’s price spike, exporters report a phase of modest price corrections in early April as multiple origins reduced offers in sync. However, domestic inventories are still low and import arrivals from Myanmar remain difficult, limiting any deeper pull-back. With China heading into a seasonally stronger demand period as temperatures rise and with only a gradual recovery in import supply, the market is positioned for continued high but more range-bound prices into May.

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📈 Prices & Short-Term Trend

Latest FOB indications in Beijing (16 April 2026) show:

Product	Spec	Origin	Price (EUR/kg, FOB)	1-week change
Mung beans	organic, 99.5%	CN	1.59	+0.02
Mung beans	3.8 mm up, 99.5%	CN	1.49	0.00
Kidney beans	dark red, non-organic	CN	1.23	+0.01

Mung bean prices in China thus reflect a mild rebound in organics and stabilization in conventional grades after the early-April adjustment. Compared with late March, the market has shifted from a steep uptrend to a high but flatter trading range, consistent with exporter feedback that recent corrections are only partial and do not change the underlying tightness. Other beans such as kidney and adzuki show small, mixed moves, indicating that the main tension is still in mung beans rather than the broader bean complex.

🌍 Supply & Demand Drivers

On the supply side, domestic mung bean stocks are reported at low levels, keeping current prices elevated even as downstream wholesalers show limited buying enthusiasm. Import flows from Myanmar remain difficult, in line with broader reports of logistics and cost pressures in Myanmar that are affecting food supply chains and export performance more generally.   This constrains spot availability in Chinese ports and reinforces the tight near-term balance.

Looking ahead, arrivals from Australia, Indonesia and other origins are expected to increase slightly from May, adding some incremental supply. At the same time, China is entering a period of generally warmer spring weather, especially in the south, which tends to support consumption of mung bean-based cooling foods and beverages.   Exporter assessments suggest that, even with additional imports, overall domestic inventories will remain below normal for the season, meaning that stronger demand in May will likely be met by high but relatively stable prices rather than a significant decline.

📊 Fundamentals & Weather Context

Fundamentally, three elements underpin the current market:

• Low domestic inventories after a strong March rally and earlier stock drawdown.
• Constrained Myanmar green mung bean arrivals, with exportable supplies tight and infrastructure challenges and fuel costs adding to logistics frictions.  
• Seasonal demand growth in late spring, when higher temperatures historically lift consumption of mung bean products.

Weather outlooks for April 2026 in China point to a “warm south, cooler north” pattern, with localized warming in the Northeast.   For mung beans, this is broadly supportive: warmer southern conditions tend to bring forward demand, while no major production shocks are currently flagged. Internationally, January and February 2026 transaction data show China remaining a key higher-priced mung bean market compared with some other exporters, reflecting its strong import needs and quality requirements.  

📆 Market Outlook (Late April–May)

Exporter expectations are for mung bean prices to stay firm overall through the end of April, with only limited room for further downside given low stocks and still-challenging Myanmar arrivals. In May, modestly higher arrivals from Australia and Indonesia should improve availability, but domestic inventories are expected to remain below levels seen in previous years at the same time. Rising temperatures will likely boost retail and food-service demand, providing an additional floor for prices.

As a result, any May price correction is anticipated to be shallow, with the market trading in a high but more stable band rather than reverting to pre-rally levels. Unless there is a sudden improvement in Myanmar export performance or an unexpected demand shock, Chinese FOB prices are likely to remain at a premium to most international benchmarks through late May.

💡 Trading Recommendations

• Importers / wholesalers in China: Consider staggered purchases through late April and early May rather than waiting for a deeper correction that is unlikely under current fundamentals.
• Exporters with firm origin supply (Australia, Indonesia): Use current Chinese price strength to lock in forward sales for May–June shipments, but remain flexible on volume in case Myanmar flows normalize later.
• Food manufacturers: Secure core raw material coverage for May and early June now; treat any short-lived dips as opportunities to top up rather than structural trend reversals.

📉 3-Day Directional Price Outlook (CN FOB)

• Beijing – Mung beans (organic & 3.8 mm up): Sideways to slightly firm; tight nearby supply offsets cautious wholesale demand.
• Beijing – Kidney & adzuki beans: Mostly stable with a mild firm tone in select organic and specialty grades as buyers hedge against ongoing pulses tightness.
• International benchmarks: China expected to maintain a premium versus lower-priced origins, sustaining active but selective import interest.

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